I'll Take My Chances Here An' Now
by Karu Leonnese
Summary: Stranded in the middle of nowhere, Dean gets some advice: There's a psychic named Chuck who lives in a castle. He can send you home. Because they're definitely not in Kansas anymore.
1. Welcome to the Suck

Title: I'll Take My Chances Here An' Now

Authors: h4ppy_fun_b4ll/Karu Leonnese

Pairing: Dean/Castiel, a few spoilery pairings later on.

Rating: PG-13 to R-ish. Nothing too bad.

Word Count: (93,000 total)

Warnings: Complete AU. Language, violence an' a few gratuitious makeouts. All in a day's work.

Disclaimer: Nothing's mine except the plot. An' with all the references, even that's debatable at times.

Summary: It's about the important things. To think for yourself. To feel for yourself. To believe in yourself. To find yourself a home. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, Dean gets some advice: There's a psychic named Chuck who lives in a castle. He can send you home. Because they're definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Notes: So...this is it. After taking up the challenge of writing my first SPN fic as a Camp NaNoWriMo project, I spent a month on this monstrocity. It's officially the longest thing I've ever written, an' pretty much deviated from my main point of being a parody. Whoops. Anyway, like I said, this is my first try with any of these guys, aside from a few loose RPs. So any kind of feedback or crit is appreciated muchly!

Soundtrack can be downloaded on LJ. h4ppy_fun_b4ll . livejournal . com / 772 . html (taking out all spaces, of course )

Chapter One: Welcome to the Suck ((Thomas Newman))

Our story begins in Kansas. A normal, everyday town, with normal, everyday people, doing normal, everyday things.

"If you don't hurry up this thing's gonna crack your damn skull open!"

Alright, so maybe that's a bit of a stretch.

The story starts in Kansas. That much is true. But it shouldn't be called normal by any means. In fact, the word normal probably shouldn't even be used anywhere near this story. But digression aside, it'd probably be best to get back to the story, before someone's skull gets cracked open.

That someone would be Sam Winchester, who currently had his arm shoulder- deep in a hole in the wall of an abandoned log cabin on the outskirts of a small town. Squirming, he tried to get closer, his fingers brushing just shy of the metal box he was trying to grab hold of. The box belonged to a rather angry spirit of a man who was pretty handy with an axe, even as a ghost.

Across the room, sparing a moment to reload a shotgun with salt- packed rounds, Dean cursed, taking a shot as the spirit tried once more to separate his brother's head from his body. "Would you hurry up already?"

Sam pushed forward, fingers sliding over the metal corner before dragging it close enough to get a grip. "Got it!"

"About damned time!" Another shot fired. "I'd have thought with those long arms of yours, reaching things wouldn't be a problem!"

Sam ignored his brother in favor of opening the box. Inside were stacks of letters, old and yellowed. One of them contained a lock of hair belonging to their violent spirit. Rather than waste time finding it in the stack, the younger sibling fumbled in his jacket pocket for the book of matches and salt packets he'd stashed there.

He ripped open the packets, shaking the salt into the box. But before he got a chance to light it up, something whirled past his head. Ducking on impulse, he narrowly missed the axe aimed his way before Dean got another shot off at the thing.

It was Sam's turn to curse, shooting Dean a glare. "Cutting it close much?"

"Just shut up and light the thing up!"

He didn't need any more urging. Striking up the match, he tossed it in the box, sending the old letters into flames. The spirit wasted no time in burning up in the same way. Threat neutralized, Sam slumped against the broken wall of the ghost's abandoned home, attempting to catch his breath.

Dean just grinned, leaning against the doorway. "Another day in Paradise."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Let's just get home already."

Home was about an hour's drive away. Closer than usual for their cases, seeing as though most of the cases within their own city limits had been long since taken care of. If not by the brothers themselves, then by their father. Usually before they had even been born. The Winchester family had been hunting the supernatural for as long back as anyone could remember. It was in their blood, as John had told them many times. Most of the time, they were inclined to believe it. Between the three of them, they had the business down to a fine art, tracking down whatever it was, and taking care of it as soon as possible. Their mother, Mary, had been a part of it as well, up until her death a decade or so ago. She'd died tackling a demon, and the rest of her family had made sure the thing was dead three times over for it.

For the most part, the two of them traveled, picking up whatever cases they could find along the way. Their father was about as retired as one could get in this business. He mostly stayed at home, tracking odd phenomenon and assigning tasks to other hunters. Every once in awhile, he'd still take a case, mostly when he got bored of daytime TV. Whenever the boys needed a break, or Dean needed a place to park the Impala while he fixed it up, they came back home to Kansas, staying with John. This was one of such cases. The pair had been on the road for at least a month, tackling ghosts and the occasional shape shifter, and both had figured it was about time for a break to recharge.

John was waiting for them when they returned, eager to hear about how the job had gone. There was also something that resembled dinner waiting. Their father could take down a demon in minutes, but any food more difficult to make than Mac and cheese was beyond him. Still, neither was complaining, and after a quick washing up of old house dust, they sat down to eat. It was a routine case, a quick salt and burn, nothing too strenuous. But John was always interested in the retelling of his sons' work. Dean usually wound up giving the stories, attempting as always to make his father proud of them. Sam just smiled to himself, pushing the casserole of the day around on his plate and giving details as needed. It was almost a routine in itself.

But routines have a habit of changing unexpectedly, especially where the Winchester family was concerned. And this particular change would come in the form of an unassuming young woman.

Dinner ended, and the dishes were done. It was somewhere after midnight, still early enough not to be considered morning, and the brothers had taken to sitting on the porch with a few beers after their father had gone to bed. They talked about anything and nothing at all, just enjoying the cool night air and each other's company. A few hours later, Dean got up, ready to head in. Sam followed, but stopped suddenly as he caught sight of a red blur dashing around the side of the house.

Curious, he stepped off the porch, following it. The house and the property surrounding it were covered in protective spells, so he wasn't especially concerned about danger. He didn't expect to come face to face with a shorter woman, around his own age, bright red hair and wide green eyes. He let out a sharp noise, more out of surprise than anything else. The woman didn't seem shocked, as if she was expecting him to follow her.

"Who are you?" he frowned. "What are you doing here?"

She didn't reply, merely shaking her head and pointing down at his feet as she took a step back. Tilting his head, he looked down. He was standing in the middle of a red circle drawn in the ground. It looked to be red spray paint. The circle was some sort of spell, covered in symbols Sam had never seen before. And that was saying something for him.

"This can't hold me, whatever it is. These traps are made for demons, not humans." He moved to step past the red line to prove his point. But instead of crossing the line, he was stopped, as if an invisible wall blocked his path. He looked back up at the woman, his face a mix of shock and anger. She smiled softly.

Dean, by this time, had found his brother missing, and went to find where he'd gotten off to. Breaking out into a slow jog, he rounded the side of the house he'd seen Sam disappear behind. Sam was there, speaking to a redheaded girl. He looked up as he saw Dean head his way.

"Dean, don't step in the—"

Before he could finish, his brother had crossed the red line to join him, not even noticing the mark in the darkness.

Sam sighed. "…line."

"What line?" Dean arched a brow. "And who's the chick? Sneaking off for secret rendezvous now, Sammy?"

"THAT line," his brother deadpanned, pointing to the ground under him. "And I don't know who she is."

The older Winchester shrugged. "It's just a demon trap, nothing to be worried about." He stepped over the line, or at least tried to, eyes widening as he found himself just as trapped as his brother. "Huh. Well that's new."

Sam ignored him, staring at the girl instead. "What do you want?"

But the redhead wasn't answering, instead giving them that secretive smile she'd been wearing since he'd run into her. It was starting to get on his nerves. It was part serene, and part smug. Like she knew everything would work in her favor, and she wasn't going to tell them anything she didn't want to.

Apparently he wasn't the only one annoyed with her behavior, which wasn't surprising in the slightest. "Hey!" Dean growled, getting serious now that the situation proposed actual danger. "You gonna answer him?"

She shook her head, looking from one to the other.

"Can't talk or something?"

Finally she spoke. "I can, when I want to."

"Well now we're getting somewhere," Sam kept his eyes trained on her. "What do you want? What kind of trap is this?"

"It's not a trap," she replied, arms crossed over an olive drab jacketed chest. "It's a spell."

"Sure seems like a trap to me," Dean huffed, poking a booted foot at the red border.

"What kind of spell?" Sam asked. At least they were getting some answers out of the girl now.

She shrugged. "A transport spell."

"A WHAT?"

Before Dean had further chance to yell, the woman stepped into the circle with them. Immediately the red lines began to glow in the darkness. From somewhere a wind picked up, tossing their hair and clothes around roughly. If they didn't already know better, it'd be a safe bet to assume a tornado had wound its' way into town in the blink of an eye. The circle continued to glow, brighter and brighter, and the wind blew harder and harder. Finally the pair had to close their eyes against both.

Sam yelled something, voice quickly swallowed by the wind whirling around them in noisy gusts. Dean didn't catch it, but he reached to grab for the other's arm. He could see red light even behind his closed eyelids, and the wind howled, effectively blinding and deafening him.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, the wind stopped. The light remained, although it changed color from bright red to pale orange. It dimmed enough to allow Dean to open his eyes, looking around.

He was no longer near John's house in the early- morning darkness. Instead he found himself in a field, bright green grass rolling out as far as he could see. The circle, the transport spell, was gone. The sun was out, which explained the light. If he had to guess, he'd say it was midday. And if that wasn't confusing enough, there was no sign of the woman.

Worse, there was no sign of Sam either.


	2. Soldiers of Misfortune

Chapter Two: Soldiers of Misfortune ((Filter))

The field was empty. There was no sign of anyone, least of all his brother. And with someone that tall, he was hard to miss. Dean felt panic rise up in his gut. Not only had some weird girl dropped them off god- knows- where, but she was nowhere to be found, and for all he knew, she'd taken Sam with her.

He didn't even know what that girl was. He didn't think she was a demon. They usually let them know what they were as soon as they could manage, their eyes flitting to a deep inky black. As if they were so proud of themselves, they had to show it off. This girl had seemed normal, if not mysterious. Maybe she was a witch. Dean hated witches. Really hated them. Or maybe she was something else entirely. He hadn't really had time to try any tests.

With a curse under his breath, he ran a hand through his hair, turning in a slow circle. First things first, he needed to figure out where he was. And where Sam had gone. Looking around, he saw nothing but green grass and blue sky. And while it was nice, it wasn't exactly what he needed right now.

Completing his circle, he let out a surprised noise. Directly in front of him was a girl. Not the same one that had taken him here, but a shorter blonde. Her hair fell along her shoulders in loose curls, and she grinned at him. It was a friendlier type of smile than the redhead, but it still held a touch of something, almost playful.

"Lost?"

Dean took a step back, fighting the urge to snap at the second stranger to pop in unannounced within the past few minutes. "You could say that."

"Well, it's about time you got here." She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one leg. "I'm Jo. Now… which one are you…?"

He blinked, not completely sure he knew what she meant by that. Luckily, she seemed to be merely thinking aloud, since she nodded after giving him a quick once- over. "Right. I got it now. Anyway, you're probably wondering what the hell's going on, aren't you?"

Arching a brow, he returned the favour, green eyes studying her. She was pretty cute. "That would be part of it, yeah."

Jo made a show of brushing non- existent dust off her grey wool jacket. "Well, let's start simple. What do you know about Purgatory?"

"Purgatory?" Dean frowned. "The place where people go that isn't Heaven or Hell? Judgment and all that noise? Didn't someone write a book on it once? Or was that a video game?"

She chuckled. "Now see, that's what I like about you, Dean. Always good for a laugh. Purgatory is all that and more. Humans come here to await judgment before passing on to either of the more permanent places. But they're not what make up the majority of Purgatory. Everything you hunt, every supernatural creature without a human soul, it goes here when it dies."

He paused. "How the hell do you know my name?"

"Someone had to be watching you," she shrugged. "There are a lot more boring jobs to be doing around here."

He wanted to ask further on that point, but the first question finally caught up to him. "Are you saying we're in Purgatory?"

"Yup! Nice, isn't it?"

This girl was insane. No way around it. "Purgatory. Isn't it supposed to be caves and mountains and dark and gothic? What's with the bright sunny day in the wildflower garden?"

Jo shrugged, his attitude not fazing her in the slightest. If she had been watching him, then she knew to expect it. "Purgatory's not any one thing. Just like Heaven isn't, nor Hell. Just like Earth, there are lots of different parts. This is just one of them. You'll get your dark and gothic, don't worry."

He sighed. "Okay. So say I believe you, and we're in Purgatory. What am I doing here? Did that spell kill me? Am I just here while they figure out whether all those one- night stands are worth a trip down under?"

"Nah," she tucked a curl behind her ear as a soft breeze blew. "You're here because we needed your help."

She was even crazier than he'd first thought.

"My help? All the supernatural powers in Purgatory and you need some random human's help for something?" He stared at her with a frown, more than a little skeptical.

"Not just some random human. You and your brother. Hunters. You're the only ones who can get this job done." She looked around. "Speaking of, where is your brother?"

"Yeah, that was gonna be my next question. This crazy redhead trapped us in a circle and sent us here, I guess. But whatever happened in between here and there, me and Sam got separated. I was hoping you could shed some light on that."

Jo frowned, shaking her head. "I don't have that kind of information. I'm just supposed to be exposition. Tell you what's going on and send you on your way, y'know? You were supposed to show up together."

"Great…"

She thought for a moment. "But I can tell you who would know."

This got his attention. "Yeah?"

"Chuck would know. He gets visions of everything. It's weird."

"And where would I find him?"

"In the city. But this part of Purgatory is all wildlife, so you'll have to walk. It'll take a few days." She turned, pointing to somewhere in the distance. "After the field there'll be a road. You can't miss it. Just follow that, and you'll hit the city. Chuck'll be able to tell you what he knows."

It wasn't a sure thing, but it was the best lead he had at this point. He had to find Sam soon, before something happened. And if Jo was telling the truth, and they were in Purgatory, then something was probably gonna go down very soon. Winchesters had a habit of attracting trouble, and quickly at that.

"Okay, thanks." Something in his gut told him that wasn't what this was all about. "But what about this thing you need my help with?"

"Oh, that." She shrugged, waving him off with a hand. "Well, we need both of you, so it's not gonna happen with just one. Plus Chuck can tell you about that part too. He's the one that suggested all this anyway. It's his plan, I'm just helping out."

He hated not knowing what they wanted with him. Ever since that girl had shown up in his yarn, he'd gotten the feeling that something was tossing him around, playing around with him. But he had a feeling he wasn't going to get anything out of Jo that she didn't want to tell him. He also didn't want to waste any more time in finding his brother than he already had. He sighed, taking a step in the direction she'd pointed. She made no move to follow, just watching him. After a few steps, he abruptly tripped on something. Only his hunter's reflexes kept him from falling flat on his face. Looking down, he caught sight of an arm.

"What the hell?"

Sprawled in the middle of the field was a man's body. Casually dressed in jeans and two layers of shirts, with short blonde hair. From what Dean could tell, he looked tall, probably a bit shorter than Sam when he was standing. But at the moment, he wasn't standing. And he definitely wasn't moving, despite having a grown man walk on his arm. Dean took a step back, staring at the corpse. Curious, Jo caught up to him.

"Oh."

He turned to her. "Oh? There's a freaking dead body in this cute little meadow and all you can say is 'oh'?"

She laughed. "Actually, this is good news. I wasn't expecting this."

Just when he thought things couldn't get weirder. "Dead bodies are a good thing here? Who is this? You know him? Err… knew him?"

Jo nodded. "It's Lucifer."

"Lucifer… as in THE Lucifer? Fallen angel and ruler of Hell, Lucifer?"

"Yeah. That'd be the one. So I wouldn't feel too bad for him. He was a bit of a dick."

"What the hell is he doing here? And why is he dead?" And why does he look like a mild- mannered librarian on a day off?

Shrugging, she nudged Lucifer's arm with a sneaker. Nothing happened. "He's been causing a bit of chaos here lately. There are two of them, really. Two good ones and two bad. Anna and I make up the good team. Luci and Crowley are the bad guys. But Luci and Crowley have been fighting each other a lot lately. It's kind of making things hard for the rest of us. Y'know, civil war and all that. That's part of the reason you were brought here. But hey, now that you've taken care of that, the rest should be easy!"

"Taken care of it? How the hell did I kill the devil?"

"After- effects of the transport spell probably. It's powerful angel magic. So congratulations."

Suddenly Dean's head hurt more than ever before. A drink seemed like a very good idea. He hoped Purgatory had some good bars.

Jo knelt down beside Lucifer's body, reaching for something around his neck. Dean watched as she slid a leather cord off the body. "Gimme your hand."

Confused, he did as she instructed. She took it by the fingers, pulling his hand closer to loop the cord around his wrist, doubled over. He looked it over. A knotted cord, simple in design, with a small silver circle charm. Etched onto the charm were symbols, similar to the ones the girl had drawn in red near the Winchester house. Angel magic, as Jo had told him.

"What is this?"

Jo turned his hand over, inspecting that the necklace wasn't too loose, and it wouldn't fall off. "It's good luck. It was Luci's. It'll help you when you need it."

"That's very… cryptic, thanks."

"Hey, it's Purgatory. Cryptic is the norm here." She grinned, finally letting go of his hand. "Don't take that off. Don't let anyone have it. In fact, it'd probably be better not to mention it. Because if some of the shadier types around here know what that is, they're gonna want it. Even if they have to separate hand from body to get it. So save yourself some trouble."

Dean nodded, studying the new charm and trying to ignore the fact that it had come from the devil's corpse. "Right. Thanks, I guess."

"Oh… one more thing, then I swear you can get on your way to the city. I've held you up a lot, that's my fault."

"What's that?"

Jo's grin grew wider. "I've got to give you a protection spell."

"Another spell?" He was wary to be involved in more magic, which he thought was pretty understandable, considering last time he'd been a part of it he'd managed to lose his brother and apparently kill the devil unknowingly. There had to be some kind of bad karma attached to magic that killed things. Although it was the devil, so that might actually act in his favor.

She nodded. If she sensed his unease, she didn't comment on it. "You go into town like you are, everyone's gonna be able to smell the human on you from a mile away. Purgatory is full of demons and other nasty things, and you're little more than fresh meat to them as is. This'll help you blend in."

That did seem like a good thing. "Alright, lay it on me."

He expected a wave of a hand, a few magic words, maybe even an herb or two. What he didn't expect was for Jo to grab him by the front of his t- shirt and yank him into a kiss. Not that he was complaining, of course. It was too hard to be innocent, and too chaste to be dirty. Just a kiss. As soon as he started to return it, she pulled away, eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Now that kind of magic I could get used to," he muttered, a grin of his own stretching across his features.

She laughed. "I'll bet. Now get going. Find your brother."

Dean looked toward the city once more, getting a glance of a spire barely peeking over the horizon. He turned back and he was alone in the field again. Both Jo and Lucifer were gone. Heaving another sigh, he shrugged, starting through the field after sparing a glance at the necklace wrapped around his wrist.

May as well get this over with.


	3. New Soul

Chapter Three: New Soul ((Yael Naim))

It took Dean an hour to get out of the grassy field and find the road. In that time, he was convinced he'd turned himself around and was going in the complete opposite direction that he needed to be. It wouldn't have surprised him in the least, given his previous record with luck. Maybe Lucifer's charm really would help, if it gave him a good luck boost. He could certainly use it.

He should have known it wouldn't last, at any rate.

At the edge of the field, where the grass grew shorter than shin- length and trees started sprouting up, he came to the road Jo had told him to find. She was right. It was hard to miss. It was at least as wide as a stretch of highway, all uneven black brick, probably hand- laid, and wound through the newly- found patch of forest he found himself in.

"What, no yellow brick road?"

Rolling his eyes, he started down the path. He wished Sam were here. His brother might have found the joke funny. But the sooner he found this Chuck guy, the sooner he could figure out where his younger sibling had wound up. If he was lucky, Sam hadn't been taken here at all, and was still at home, trying to figure out how to get Dean back. But as previously stated, his luck wasn't the best, and neither was Sam's.

The forest was serene and peaceful. Soft breezes rustled the leaves in the trees, a few birds chirped happily as they flew around. It was almost picturesque, like something out of a Disney movie. It was also almost enough to grate on the nerves. Because this was Purgatory, dammit. It wasn't supposed to be full of calming meadows and Disney forests! Not that he was really looking forward to the dark and scary places, but at least it would make more sense that way. Dark he knew how to prepare for. But if Bambi walked out of this forest right now, he'd probably punch it.

Dean walked all day, stopping only when he needed a brief rest. The castle in the horizon didn't get any closer, although Jo had said that it would take a few days. Sitting on a flat rock near a stream in the camp he'd decided for the night, he hoped he'd come to the part of Purgatory where there were cars soon.

A quick look around rewarded him with an apple tree. He grabbed a few of the reddest apples he could find, biting into one as soon as he got it off the branch. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he'd taken a bite, but it made sense. He hadn't eaten since the casserole at home, which had been last night. He wasn't sure about that stretch of time he lost between Earth and Purgatory, but he'd been walking for a long time at least. So it was safe to assume it'd been close to a day.

The sun was setting, so he figured he couldn't be too far off the mark. Unless the sun set at different hours here. He'd have to ask Chuck about all this when he found the guy. He'd never been to another world before, and he wasn't sure about the logic changes.

Dean made quick work of the apple, biting into another one as soon as he was done with the first, tossing the core aside. He went back to his rock, perching on it and watching the water in the stream. He hadn't seen any fish in it yet, but if he could find some, that would make a better meal than apples. But at least he wouldn't starve. The water looked clean and clear, so he'd have something to drink. He'd need to build a fire soon, before it got dark.

After finishing the second apple, he went off again, in search of kindling and firewood. At least he'd learned from an early age how to camp from his father. Otherwise he'd probably not survive the night around here. He wondered if Sam was doing okay, if he was in the same situation. Sam knew all the same things he did, probably more—the boy was smart. If he were here, he'd probably rig up a full- service camping suite out of branches and apples or something. Dean chuckled to himself at the thought, collecting dry branches wherever he could find them on the forest floor.

His arms were full of branches when he saw something in the distance. It looked like a fire, but it seemed to be contained to just one area. It was blazing, the light it cast dancing off the trees. Curious, he slowly made his way to it. While he hoped it would be Sam, or at least someone friendly, there was always a chance it could be dangerous. If Jo had been telling the truth, and supernatural creatures went to Purgatory when they died, then he was sure that a good majority of them wouldn't be happy seeing a hunter around.

As he got closer, he took in the scene. They were in a small clearing in the forest, enough to be close to the trees, but the forest wasn't in any danger of burning down from it. The fire wasn't a normal campfire. It was a ring of fire. The flames went up about waist height. He could tell this because there was a man standing in its' center. And he didn't seem to be in any hurry to move from it.

Curiosity won out in the end, and Dean stepped out of the trees, setting his branches aside in case he needed to fight. The man turned in his direction at the noise, but didn't seem threatening. In fact, he seemed just as curious as Dean himself was.

He didn't look like he should be out in the woods. He was wearing a rumpled black suit with a dark blue tie, topped with a tan trench coat. His tie was on backwards. He looked like he should be in an office building somewhere, not out in the middle of nowhere. He was a little shorter than Dean himself, with dark brown hair, almost black, a bit longer than his. He stared at Dean with bright blue eyes, not scared, just curious.

"Um… hey."

The man tilted his head. "Hello." His voice was deeper than his looks made Dean assume. Rougher.

"If you don't mind me asking," He took a step closer, keeping his tone conversational, "what's with the fire? Trying to keep bears out?"

He frowned, as if this were the dumbest idea he'd ever heard. "It's not to keep anything out. It's to keep me in."

"Oh. Why?"

"I didn't do this myself," he replied, deadpan as if it were obvious. "I was trapped here."

"You could just jump. It's not really that big a fire. Might singe your coat, but it's better than standing there."

"That's not how it works. This fire is lit on holy oil. I can't cross it until the fire is put out."

Holy oil? "Are you some kind of demon then?"

The man gave a tiny smile at that, barely more than the corner of his mouth twitching upward. "Completely the opposite, actually."

Dean frowned, looking him over. "So if I let you out of there, you're not gonna try to kill me or anything, are you?" If the guy was normal, he couldn't just leave him there. From the looks of him, he wouldn't last a minute if something supernatural showed up.

"Kill you? Why would I do something like that?" the man stared at him again. In fact, he hadn't stopped staring at Dean since he'd left the shelter of the trees. It was a little unnerving.

Dean shrugged. "Happens a lot in my line of work."

The dark- haired man seemed to accept this without further explanation. "I would very much appreciate it if you could help me. But I'd understand if the risk would be too much. Although I can assure you, I have no intention of hurting you."

With a sigh, Dean stepped up to the fire. If he was telling the truth, he'd help free him. If he was lying, he'd take his chances and worry about that later. It wouldn't be the first time. "Alright. I just gotta put out the fire, right?"

He nodded. "At least enough for me to step over."

That seemed simple enough. Dean scooped up some dirt from the clearing, tossing it onto part of the oil where the flames spouted from. He wasn't sure if it was really holy, but it was really oil, and water wasn't going to do them any good here. It took a few tries because of the amount of fire, but eventually he'd covered enough of it to extinguish a bit of flame, wide enough for the man to step through it.

"Thank you."

"No problem, I guess," Dean grinned. "Couldn't just leave you there. How'd you get trapped, anyway?"

The man stood where he was, outside the circle now, but inside Dean's personal space. It was weird, and Dean took an unconscious step back. The man either didn't notice, or didn't care. "Demons. It was a lapse in judgment, I was unaware they knew about this sort of trap. That was…" he stopped to think, tilting his head once more. "…at least two weeks ago, I believe."

Dean stared at him, eyes widening. "Two weeks? And you haven't died yet?"

Staring, the man seemed confused. "Why would I die?"

"Have you eaten this whole time? Had any water? You shouldn't be able to survive that long! C'mon, we need to get you something to eat."

The man continued to stare at him in confusion, but obediently followed Dean as he made his way back into the woods, picking up his branches along the way. As an afterthought, he took one of the bigger ones and lit it on the remaining fire. At least he wouldn't have to play with rocks to get a spark tonight. It was too dark for that now anyway.

He led the trench coat- clad man back to his little campsite by the stream, dumping the sticks in a pile and setting the makeshift torch on top. Within minutes the branches had caught, and there was a nice fire going. He told the man to stay put, while he went back to the tree to collect more apples. He wasn't sure how many the guy could eat, but if he hadn't had any food in two weeks, it would probably be a lot. He shed his green over shirt, gathering the corners to use as a sort of basket, grabbing as many apples as he could.

When he returned to the camp, the man was sitting on the ground a safe distance from the fire, legs drawn up against his chest. He stared at Dean once again, before his eyes dropped to the apples. Dean set the shirt- basket down beside him.

"They're okay, I've already had two."

He stared at the fruit, then back up at Dean, then back at the apples. His head tilted in that confused way again before he replied. "I don't need them. But thank you."

"Don't need them?" Dean stared incredulously. "You haven't eaten for two weeks. You should be dead by now. Just eat."

He looked like he was about to argue further, but thought better of it instead. He slowly picked up one of the apples, turning it over in his hands and inspecting it closely before taking a bite. He blinked a few times, as if it were the first time he'd ever tasted a damn apple and he was determined to put the taste to memory. Dean sat down on the other side of the fire, crossing his legs under him.

"I'm Dean. What's your name, anyway?"

The man swallowed the bite he'd taken before replying. "Castiel."

Weird name. "Castiel? What is that, some kind of angel name?"

Castiel nodded. "Of course."

"Why? Is it an obvious one?" he shrugged.

Another tiny half- smile. "It makes perfect sense that I would have an angel's name. Because that's exactly what I am."

Dean rolled his eyes with a snort. "Yeah, sure. Castiel, angel of Purgatory."

"Not exactly." Castiel took another bite of his apple, chewing slowly. "I'm not supposed to be here."

"How'd you get here, then?" Dean decided to humor him for now.

"I'm looking for someone," came the reply, as Castiel stared at the apple. "My brother."

Well, at the very least, Dean could sympathize with that.

"Is he an angel too?"

Castiel didn't miss a beat. "Archangel, actually."

Dean sat back, propping himself up on his elbows as he looked the other over. "No offense, but you don't look like an angel. You look like a private detective. Don't angels have wings? Wear white dresses and play harps?"

He just stared at the Hunter; as if that was possibly the stupidest thing he'd heard all day. Which could be the case. "That's nothing but myth. Although yes, angels have wings. In a sense, at least. But this is a human vessel, and they're hidden from view."

"Vessel? So you're just possessing someone?" Dean's eyes narrowed. Demons possessed people.

"It was done with his consent." Castiel frowned, looking vaguely offended. "I'm not a demon."

"So you're just walking around Purgatory wearing some poor guy and looking for another angel? Shouldn't angels be in Heaven anyway?"

"Usually an angel returns to Heaven when they die, yes. But this matter was… complicated."

Dean supposed he'd heard weirder things from stranger people. At least this guy didn't seem dangerous. "Okay, whatever. Anyway, I'm heading into town to see this guy named Chuck. Someone told me he has visions, whatever that means. I'm gonna see if he can help me find my own brother and get the hell outta here. If you want, you can come along. He might know something about this archangel of yours."

Castiel considered this thoughtfully, staring at Dean as if he could see through him. Finally he nodded. "I believe I'll do that. Thank you."

The staring thing still creeped him out. "No problem. But for now, I'm gonna get some sleep. Jo said the place is a few days away, and I've only been going for one."

A nagging voice in the back of his head, his hunter's instincts, told him it wasn't safe to sleep around a stranger. Especially a stranger he found in Purgatory who told him crazy things, like being an angel and asking people to possess, and looking for his angel brother. But Castiel didn't look like he was gonna kill him in his sleep. If he wanted to hurt him, he'd have done it already.

The so- called angel nodded, setting a half- eaten apple aside. "I'll make sure nothing disturbs you."

"You could always sleep too, y'know… I don't think there's much trouble brewing in the Disney woods."

Another curious head tilt. "Angels don't need to sleep."

Obviously Dean's humor was wasted on this guy. He rolled his eyes, turning over on his side to get comfortable. "Whatever. G'night."

"Goodnight, Dean."

And as persistent as that instinctive voice was, he didn't have any trouble falling asleep with the other watching.


	4. Good on the Dance Floor

Chapter Four: I'll Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor ((Arctic Monkeys))

Dean woke up fairly early the next morning, judging by the barest hints of the sun peeking up over the horizon. It was still dark enough to leave a chill in the air, and the fire had gone out. The only sounds in the air were a few birds, quieter in the dawn hours than they had been the previous day. A breeze ruffled leaves on the trees.

He blinked his eyes open groggily, looking around for a moment before sitting up. He was alone in the camp; Castiel was gone. His over shirt, the one he'd used as a makeshift basket last night for apples, was draped over him as some form of a blanket.

Finding himself a bit disappointed at the other's exit, he rubbed a hand over his face, trying to rouse fully. He supposed Castiel had better things to do then hang around and wait for Dean to get done sleeping. Angels didn't sleep, after all, and he had a mission to complete. Still, it made him frown. It would have been nice to have someone to talk to on this trip, even if Castiel hadn't gotten any of his jokes so far. Dean didn't really like being by himself. He worked best when he had someone to talk to, complain to and joke around with. Like Sam. That's probably why he invited Castiel along in the first place.

"You're awake."

Dean jumped a bit at the voice. Castiel stepped into the camp quietly as the other turned his head to study him. The surprise must have been evident on his face, because Castiel tilted his head in that way of his, arms tightening around the pile of sticks he'd gathered up.

"The fire went out. I thought you might want another."

"Oh."

The dark- haired man set the little pile of sticks over the ash of last night's fire. Dean rolled his shoulders in a stretch, moving to slide the over shirt back on. He got to his feet.

"I'm gonna see if there's any fish in this stream. If I can catch some, we'll have something besides apples for breakfast."

"I don't need to—"

"Eat, yeah, I know." He shrugged. "I'm sure it couldn't hurt. You ate apples just fine." In fact, there were a few more cores in the pile than there were when he went to sleep, so Castiel must have had a few more in the night.

Castiel looked away. "My stomach has been upset lately. It started some time after I was trapped in the fire circle. It's never happened before. Eating those helps."

Dean stared at him, a look that just screamed 'are you kidding me?' "That's hunger, Cas. You're hungry."

"But that's not supposed to happen." He looked distressed. Which is to say, he frowned slightly.

"I'm no expert on angels, but this isn't Heaven. This is Purgatory. Maybe the rules are different here." Vaguely, he wondered when he'd started accepting Castiel's angel story as a fact.

Castiel was quiet for a few moments, deep in thought. "That… would explain a few things."

"It would?"

He nodded. "My Grace hasn't worked since coming here. I thought it was just the fire limiting me."

"Grace?"

"Yes. The source of an angel's powers is in their Grace. Without it, they're powerless."

Dean stared at him. "So what you're saying is, as long as you're here, you're basically a human?"

"Basically."

"Well," he leaned against the rocks, "That's gotta suck."

Castiel looked up at him, blue eyes matching Sam's for that puppy- dog look that always worked on Dean.

"Luckily you're sticking with me."

"What?"

Dean grinned. "You think I'm just gonna let you wander around out here and get trapped again? Or worse?" he shook his head. "You're coming to the city with me. Maybe Chuck knows more about this angel power stuff too. We're both looking for siblings, so we may as well stick together, right?"

"I…" Castiel looked surprised, as if he thought Dean would leave him the moment his use was put into question. "Thank you."

Dean shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. Now, let's get us something to eat."

And so the party gained one graceless angel.

They managed to catch a few small fish in the stream. That is to say, Dean caught a few, while Castiel tried his best with Dean's teaching. He only managed to end up soaking his sleeves and pants legs in the water as he lost his balance. Dean sat him near the fire to dry off while he cooked the fish.

After breakfast, they found the black road and started back on their way to the city. Dean filled the walk with conversation, talking about Sam, his family, their work. Whatever he could think of. Castiel mostly just listened, every once in awhile interjecting a comment of his own. It was comfortable, and the walk passed by a lot easier than when he'd been walking alone.

They made it out of the woods near sunset that night. The trees ended suddenly, and a sidewalk started to frame either side of the brick road. A block away from the forest, there were streetlights lit, casting an eerie glow on the road. It was getting dark, and Dean started looking for a building they could stay in for the night. Not that he expected hotels, but a house would be nice. Just somewhere they could possibly crash on someone's floor.

The buildings didn't look like the modern- day tall steel he was used to. These were all smaller brick buildings, with faded signs. Everything seemed to have sort of an old- fashioned edge to it, like they'd stepped into the business district sometime in the 50s. It reminded Dean of some old crime noir movie in black and white, with dark alleys for secret villainous rendezvous and shady deals at the dock. He wondered where the houses were, with good scared people peeking out of their curtained windows as they watched for all the crime bosses running around town.

This area looked to be mostly businesses, however, which wouldn't really help them at all in their quest for the night. The streets were empty, but he didn't really want to take his chances out here too late at night. And he REALLY didn't want to go back to the woods to camp out again.

Finally, they came across a bar. While it wasn't a place to sleep, it would at least be somewhere to sit down for awhile and think of a plan. They'd been walking all day. Dean was tired, and he knew Castiel must be, although the angel wasn't complaining. Dean figured if he had wings, he probably didn't do much actual walking.

He led Castiel inside the bar, which seemed to just be called 'BAR'. This, as it turned out, seemed to be a bit of a misnomer. It was actually more of a night club than a bar. Although it did have a bar, which Dean was thankful for. There was loud music playing, bass thudding through the floor. He was surprised he hadn't heard it through the walls outside. There was a large dance floor, taking up most of the space in the club, filled with people moving to the beat. At least, some of them were people. There were other things too. Dean caught sight of a few vampires moving along to the music, a werewolf here and there, and a few scaley things that he couldn't place at the moment. But he was sure he remembered his father telling him something about them once. So this was where the supernatural entities of Purgatory came to party. It was a little weird to see. He felt like he should be killing something. He pushed the thought aside. This wasn't exactly the best place to cause a scene. Not to mention this was Purgatory. He only dealt with killing evil things on Earth.

After ushering the angel to the bar, he cast the bartender, a smart- looking brunette, a glance and ordered them both a beer. Taking the bottles from her, he passed one to Castiel. Dean grinned, tipping his back for a drink as he watched his new companion stare at the bottle curiously. After a moment, he took a drink, making a face at the taste of it. Dean actually laughed at that.

He moved to pay the bartender as Castiel turned in his seat to watch the people dance. For a moment, he was struck by the thought that this wasn't Earth, and he most likely had the wrong type of currency. A moment of panic had the bartender laughing at him. She assured him they took all kinds of money in Purgatory. Dean ignored the little comment of 'You must be new' and paid her, turning back to get Castiel's attention.

Only to find the angel missing from his seat.

"Fuck." Dean nearly jumped out of his seat; grip tight on his bottle as he scanned the crowd. Castiel had been watching the dancers when Dean turned away; maybe he'd just gone to join them. There was no sign of a familiar tan trench coat in the swarming masses, which was both a good and bad thing, because Dean was NOT going in there after him.

With the swirling crowd not hiding the angel, he turned to look around the walls of the place. The people who weren't dancing were leaning against the walls, chatting and drinking. It was there that he spotted Castiel, and he let out a sigh of relief. At least, until he saw that the angel wasn't alone. He was talking with a tall blonde man, dressed in slacks and a suit jacket over a light blue v- neck shirt. Castiel was nodding quietly at something the other said, while the stranger leaned closer to him, possibly to be heard over the thudding dance music. The man paused as he noticed Dean staring at him, and met his eyes with a smirk. He knew that look. Hell, he'd USED that look. That was the look of someone on a conquest for the night. And this guy was using it in regards to Castiel.

Oh hell no.

His beer forgotten on the bar, he wove his way through the crowd, storming over to the pair. "Cas, you can't run off like that."

Castiel smiled that little half- smile of his upon seeing Dean. "Dean, this is Balthazar. He owns this place."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Charmed." 

The man, Balthazar, chuckled, obviously more amused than offended by Dean's brush- off. "Cassy here's been telling me about your little trip from the woods." His voice was light, playful and heavily accented with something Dean would place as English, if he could find himself caring at this point.

"Wonderful. " He grabbed Castiel by the jacket sleeve, beginning to pull him away. "You can't trust people around here, Cas, remember what happened last time?"

"You really shouldn't tell people they're untrustworthy, you know," Balthazar grinned. "They might get the wrong idea."

"That only matters when you care what they think," Dean shot back.

"You should, seeing as though you're in my place."

Dean tipped his head with a smirk. "Not for long. C'mon Cas…"

"Dean—"

"I don't think he needs protecting, however cute your jealous streak may be," Balthazar crossed his arms, the smirk never leaving his face. Dean was beginning to think that was his default expression.

Instead he narrowed his eyes at the club owner. "I'm trying to get outta here without making a scene. You're making it really hard."

Balthazar snorted. "Wouldn't that be fun?"

Dean growled in frustration, pulling at Castiel's coat again. "Let's go. Before some demon thinks you look too good to pass up."

This made the blonde laugh. "Do you think I'm a demon?"

"Well, I don't trust you, think whatever you want of that," he snapped back, "Also, why do you keep talking to me? We're trying to leave."

"We?"

"Dean," Castiel tried again, resisting the other's pull on his sleeve. "Balthazar isn't a demon."

"I don't really care—"

"He's an angel."

Okay, what? "Him?"

Balthazar looked far too amused for Dean's own good. "Well, I was at one point. I've been here for awhile now. It's quite a better party than Heaven."

"Wow… and here I thought Heaven had standards."

Castiel frowned in admonishment. "Dean, stop. We're not in any danger. Balthazar can help us."

Dean arched a brow. "Why, did he find a way to keep his angel mojo in Purgatory?"

He winced at the momentary look of hurt on Castiel's face, before it was hidden again. Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Angels have no power here. It's too far from Heaven. They get cut off. There's no way to stop that. It's like a cell signal out of range. Even archangels can't do much more than simple tricks."

"Well that's just great. So how exactly can you help us again?"

"I hear you've been looking for an archangel."

"He said he's seen my brother, Dean…"

At this, Dean paused. As aggravating as this cocky bastard could be, a lead was a lead, and he didn't want Castiel to miss out on finding his brother just because Dean couldn't stand the guy.

"You know where he is?"

Balthazar shrugged. "I've seen him. I don't know where he went. But I know he's here."

"Thank god for your help then," Dean deadpanned, suddenly wishing he hadn't left his beer at the bar. Without thinking, he snatched the bottle from Castiel's hand, finishing it in one go. Castiel hadn't liked it anyway. Dean wished it were something stronger.

The shorter angel gave him another admonishing look, but didn't comment on losing his drink. "Do you know anything else? I have to find him before he gets into trouble."

This got a laugh out of the other. "Oh, you're too late for that. He was trouble when he came here, and he's trouble long after he's gone."

Castiel made a face. "That's what I was afraid of."

"And he's not the only brother I've seen wandering around here," he continued.

Dean snapped his head to look at him. "What?"

Balthazar grinned knowingly. "You're a human. I can tell, even with that spell you've got on you. It might fool demons, but I know this kind of magic. And I also know that someone who felt the exact same way wandered in here yesterday."

Sam had been here? Had he landed closer to the city than Dean had? He had a protection spell over him as well. Maybe that redhead was still with him.

"Where'd he go?"

The blonde sighed, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, do you think I keep track of every person that goes through here?"

Dean gave him a look.

"Alright, fine. He went towards the center of the city. Said an angel had told him to go talk to Chuck."

So they were headed toward the same place. That was a relief, at least. He was a day behind his brother, but they'd meet up eventually. Maybe if they made an early start tomorrow morning, they could make up some lost time.

This thought reminded him that he'd originally come here to rest and think of somewhere they could stay tonight. Which he'd done none of, thanks to their new snarky ex- angel friend. But at least it gave him an exit.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat," he spoke up, sounding anything but sincere, "Cas and I have to go find somewhere to stay for tonight. So we'll leave you to your dance party."

Balthazar seemed amused by that. But then again, what HADN'T amused him so far? "You think anyone's going to let you two stay with them? Hell, I'd say a third of this club's patrons are demons anyway. At least. Spell or no spell, you're not going to have any luck with them."

"Fine," Dean grit his teeth, glaring at the taller man. "Then we'll go back to the woods and camp out."

"Don't be stupid. You and Cassy can stay with me for tonight, and then go back to your little run around tomorrow."

"Stay with you? I think I'd rather sleep in the woods."

"Dean," Castiel huffed, tilting his head at him for a look before turning back to Balthazar. "Thank you."

"Wonderful." He turned to Dean, smirks all around. "Hope you don't mind a pull- out bed."

To be honest, he didn't. It was far better than a patch of ground again. Not that he would admit that to the bastard's face. Ever. Instead he rolled his eyes.

And so the small party found itself upstairs from the club, in a small apartment. There was little more than a living room, kitchen and a hall toward what Dean assumed was a bedroom and a bathroom. A few posters hung from the walls, from foreign films and a few announcing shows the club had done in the past. Other than that, there wasn't much of decoration in the place. The couch was tiny, with an ugly pattern someone's grandmother would have. The remainder of the room was filled with a desk, scattered with papers and records.

Balthazar wasted no time in tossing cushions off the ugly couch, pulling the bottom out into a bed. If the couch wasn't pretty, then the mattress it contained was off the charts. It had probably been white at some point, now an aged, stained light brown. The ex- angel tossed a blanket over the mattress, before handing Dean a throw and pillow off the couch.

"Classy…" he muttered.

The taller man just shrugged. "I picked it up out of a friend's basement. A couch is a couch. I didn't think I'd need a bed out of it too."

"Whatever."

His task finished, he clapped his hands. "Well, I'm off to bed." He shot Castiel a sly look. "You're welcome to join me, if you like."

Dean opened his mouth to snap something, but Castiel's reply stopped him.

"I'm staying with Dean. Thank you though."

Balthazar shrugged. "Suit yourself, Cassy. Can't blame me for trying. Night boys."

With that, he left into the hall before ducking into the last door. Leaving Dean to stare at Castiel.

"You sleeping tonight?"

"Angels don't sleep."

Dean shrugged, tossing the pillow onto the old mattress. "Humans do. Seems like your pal Balthy is too. Maybe you should give it a shot. You look tired."

And he did. He looked like a child fighting to stay up later than he had any right to, swaying a bit on his feet and blinking his eyes more than normal.

"Perhaps…perhaps you're right."

Then he realized something. "Y'know… there's only one bed here."

Castiel tilted his head. "I was aware of that, yes. I didn't think it was appropriate to share with a stranger."

Dean had to chuckle at that. "Not that you've known me much longer." Still, he was a bit grateful, for something as simple as being chosen for company over someone else. "Guess we're sharing then?"

Castiel nodded. It wasn't so bad, Dean figured. It was a big bed. There was plenty of room for two people. And it wasn't as if he'd never shared a bed with Sam before, when motels didn't have any double rooms left, or when generous people didn't have more than one bed to offer for the night.

Still, Sam was family. This was some strange angel he'd met in Purgatory. So it was a little awkward. But it was late, and he was too tired to bother with it. He kicked his boots off, stretching out on half the mattress. It was damp, and he made a face. He really didn't want to think of what that dampness could be. But at least it wasn't in the woods.

The angel slowly lay on the other side of the mattress, obviously not used to it. Dean pushed his pillow toward Castiel's head, instead grabbing one of the cushions off the floor to prop his own head up. Castiel mimicked him with the pillow, still looking uncomfortable.

After a moment, Dean had settled in, closing his eyes. Then Castiel spoke up.

"Now what…?"

A tired green eye blinked open. "Now you sleep Cas."

"Oh." A pause. "How?"

"I dunno. You just do. It kinda comes naturally."

"I've never slept before."

Dean turned, staring at him. "Never?"

Castiel shook his head. "Angels don't need to. I've seen others do it, but it just seems like they lie down and close their eyes."

"That's kinda the gist of it, yeah." Dean sighed, making sure the comforter was spread out evenly over them. Then he noticed Castiel was still wearing his coat. He rolled his eyes, sitting up. "Okay, for starters, you have to be comfortable. So maybe it'd be best to shed those coats. Did you even take your shoes off?"

He nodded, squirming out of the trench coat and suit jacket. He let them lay on the couch's arm, looking expectantly at Dean for further instruction.

Not like Dean knew what to tell him. "Now lie down and relax. Your body should do the rest for you."

Castiel obeyed, settling in on his back and closing his eyes. "How long does this usually take?"

Dean stretched out on his side, head resting on an arm. "I dunno. It depends on how tired you are. You look pretty far off, so it shouldn't take long."

As it turned out, it didn't take long at all. Within minutes of quieting down, the angel was asleep. Dean studied him with a small grin before rolling his eyes fondly, settling in to drift off himself.


	5. Metal Heart

Chapter Five: Metal Heart ((Garbage))

Upon waking up later the next morning, Dean remembered exactly why he hated pull- out beds. Over the course of the night, the metal bar of the bed frame had become very closely acquainted with his lower back. He groaned, shifting onto his side. It dug into his hip instead, but at least it gave his back a little reprieve. Fuck this bed.

He blinked an eye open. It was quiet. Sunlight streamed in through the small windows of Balthazar's living room. Dean wasn't surprised that the ex- angel was a late sleeper. Probably from years of running a night club. It was pretty late when they finally went to sleep anyway. He supposed Castiel would sleep late as well, suddenly having to make up for his body's lack of Grace keeping him all powered up and not needing sleep to recharge.

Dean looked over at the angel on the other side of the bed. He'd curled up a bit during the night, into a loose ball. He'd half- expected Castiel to refuse to sleep until he passed out, afraid of doing something so human in nature. Luckily that wasn't the case. He knew they had to get going soon; they needed to move quickly if he wanted to catch up with Sam. But he supposed they could wait a little longer. It seemed like a dick move to wake Castiel on his first night of sleep.

He was so busy staring at the shorter man that he didn't notice Balthazar stumble sleepily into the room. The blonde grinned, leaning against the door frame to the hall with a yawn. "Aren't you two just adorable?"

Dean jumped, turning to stare at him with a glare. The noise also startled Castiel, who woke with a surprised noise. He kicked out on reflex, his leg slamming into Dean's hip and knocking him straight off the bed in a tangle of limbs and blanket. He hit the floor with a curse, but not before that treacherous metal frame scraped painfully over his side.

Balthazar burst out into laughter. Confused, Castiel peered over the edge of the bed. "Dean?"

Dean made a face, rubbing his side. There were going to be bruises. "Yeah Cas… I'm fine."

"I think that comedy act earned you some toast, at least." Balthazar moved past them into the kitchen.

Castiel just stared at Dean from his place atop the bed. The hunter sat up, offering a grimace that he hoped passed for a smile.

Today was going to be a long day.

The pair left shortly after, a few pieces of toast sufficing for breakfast. Dean still wanted to punch Balthazar, but he had to admit the guy wasn't as much of a bastard as he'd thought. He'd let them crash at his place, told them about their brothers, and even fed them.

He still hated him though.

The ex- angel sent them on, directing them through the city. He estimated that they should reach the center in two or three days of walking. Less if they could get someone to give them a ride. Which he doubted, for the same reason he knew no one would've given them a place to sleep last night. Most of this town was populated by demons, and they wouldn't want anything to do with them. There weren't many angels in Purgatory, but those that were kept their distance from the demons. And vice versa. The angel magic on Dean would give them away as some kind of weird mix of human and angel. And Castiel was all angel, even without his Grace. Nothing would come near them unless they had a really good reason. Long story short, no one would hurt Dean without just cause, with the protection spell Jo had given him, but they wouldn't want to help him either.

So they were walking.

Even in the daylight hours, the city still seemed shady. It still held that old fifties vibe, and it didn't get any less creepy with the new day. Sunlight lit the streets instead of the lamps, and the buildings were five stories of brick against the sky. The spires Dean first saw in the meadow were taller now, telling him he was going in the right direction. It was still a little disconcerting that no one was around, even in the middle of the day. The only explanation he could give was that if the town was full of demons, maybe they were the nocturnal kind.

He made a mental note to find somewhere safe to hide out before it got dark tonight. He didn't want to take any chances.

"So," he decided to start a conversation awhile into their walk. "How'd you sleep?"

Castiel blinked at him, frowning a bit in confusion. "I closed my eyes and relaxed, just like you told me."

Dean grinned, shaking his head. Everything was literal with Castiel. "No, I mean did it go okay? It was your first night's sleep, right? How did it feel?"

He was quiet for a moment, considering this. The only noise around them came from their shoes hitting the sidewalk. Finally he ventured, "It was sufficient."

"Did you dream?"

"Angels don't dream, Dean."

He pointed a finger at the angel. "Oh no you don't… that excuse stopped working when you started eating and sleeping."

Castiel sighed. "I'm not sure. If I did dream, then I don't recall it."

"That's better," Dean seemed pleased with himself. "It happens a lot. Most of the time we don't remember dreams unless they're really vivid."

"Oh."

They walked in silence for a time after that. It wasn't uncomfortable silence. They passed buildings and businesses. Castiel looked around, blue eyes dancing around curiously, while Dean just passed them by, hands in his jeans pockets and humming whatever song popped into his head. A few hours into the afternoon, they came across a bus center. No one was around, but there were vending machines in the corner, and Dean figured that would do as well for lunch as anything else.

Remembering what the bartender had told him last night, Dean fished out a few quarters, feeding them into the machine. Castiel watched him, tilting his head as the hunter pushed a few buttons. The machine turned, and pushed out a brightly colored bag, which Dean took.

"Hungry?"

He looked pensive for a moment before nodding. That feeling in his stomach was back, the one Dean told him was hunger. Dean chuckled, putting another round of quarters in the machine before studying its contents.

"What do you like?"

Castiel shrugged. "I'm not sure. Apples were the first thing I've eaten. And the toast from this morning."

"Well then, time to get you started on something salty." He scanned the rows once more before pushing another set of buttons. His choice dropped to the bottom, which he scooped up with a grin. "And cheesy."

Dean tossed him the bag, which he fumbled in catching. The last of his change went into the drink machine, debating a moment before getting them a Pepsi. "We'll have to share this, I don't have enough for two."

Castiel nodded. "That's fine."

They sat on a bench at the bus stops, eating their chips and soda. Castiel had wound up with something called 'Cheetos', which he supposed weren't so bad, even if they were little more than foam with powder over them. He liked the apples better. He told Dean this, and the other retorted by calling him weird. He did like the Pepsi, however. The first sip surprised him. It was full of the same bubbles as the drink Dean had given him last night, the beer, but it was sweet. There was none of the bitter unpleasantness that the first drink had. He wound up finishing off more than his half of the drink, but Dean didn't seem to mind. He looked rather amused with Castiel finding something he actually had a preference for.

When Dean asked him if he wanted to try the kind of chips he'd gotten, Castiel nodded. Dean grinned at this, holding the small bag high above their heads. Castiel started at him.

"Dean…?"

"Gotta work for it Cas," he replied, waving the bag a bit in a tease.

He offered the hunter another strange look before reaching up for the bag. Dean pulled it out of his reach at the last second, standing up.

"What are you doing?"

"It's called Keep Away. It's a game." Truth was, Dean was bored out of his mind. They'd been walking all afternoon with no break, and walking for days on top of that. His relaxing at the club had been cut entirely too short by snarky ex- angels and he was going a little stir- crazy.

Maybe Castiel seemed to sense this. Or maybe he just thought the game was important. But he started trying in earnest to get to the bag. Dean wasn't much taller than he was, only an inch or two, but every time he thought he'd catch the plastic, the other would duck away, narrowly avoiding him. Castiel didn't see where the fun in this game came from.

Finally he lunged, catching hold of Dean's wrist with one hand, the other going to pry the bag from his grip with a satisfied noise. Dean almost laughed, before something knocked him abruptly away, slamming into Castiel and sending him into the tile wall behind them.

Castiel let out a surprised yelp, his attacker pinning him to the wall and knocking the air from his chest. It made him dizzy for a moment, trying to breathe again, giving the intruder time to slam him harder into the tile. There was a flash of metal, of light bouncing off steel, and there was a blade pressed to his throat.

Dean was up in a second, wasting no time in tackling the attacker to the ground and freeing Castiel. The knife clattered to the floor, skidding away from them. The enemy was larger than either of them, but Dean had surprised him, holding him to the cement floor with his own weight. Castiel slumped against the wall, rubbing a small cut on his neck and watching with wide eyes as the two stared at each other.

Their attacker was lit up as he hit the floor, the station's dim fluorescent lights casting a haunted glow over everything. Dean stared.

"Sam?"

The other made no move to fight him, instead smiling up at him. Dean was relieved, but he made a face.

"What the hell was that about, attacking Cas like that?"

Sam blinked. "I thought he was attacking YOU."

"It was a game," Castiel muttered from his place at the wall.

Dean rolled his eyes, getting up and offering a hand to his brother. "I was messing with him. Jeez. What are you doing here anyway, I thought you were a day ahead of us…"

Sam accepted the hand, getting to his feet, only to slam into Dean, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Ah, sorry about that." He cast the dark- haired man an apologetic smile before turning his attention back to his sibling, pulling away after a respectable amount of time. He knew Dean better than that. "I was. I guess. I didn't know it though. I got into a bit of a fight, so I lost a lot of time. Turned out to be a good thing, I guess."

Frowning, Dean looked the other over. "A fight?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle, don't worry."

Castiel left the wall, standing close to Dean. Dean nodded. "Right. Well, Sam, this is Castiel. He's an angel I sorta picked up along the way. Cas, this is my brother, Sam."

"Nice to meet you," Castiel replied quietly.

"You too. Sorry about the violence, really…" Neither missed how Sam's eyes widened a bit when the word 'angel' was mentioned, but neither chose to comment on it.

"It's fine."

Good. Introductions out of the way, now Dean could continue to grill his brother about his absence. "So what happened, man? I've been looking for you for days."

Sam shrugged. "I don't really know. There was that spell at the house, and when the light show stopped, I was in the city, right next to that night club. You were gone, and so was the girl that sent us here. Then this guy appears out of nowhere, and tells me I'm in Purgatory. Says I needed to get to the center of the city."

"To see some guy named Chuck, right?"

"Yeah."

"I got that too. Only from a blonde chick. She said he'd probably be able to tell me where you wound up."

"He'd also tell us how to get home," the taller sibling interjected.

Dean grinned. "Good. Now we can focus on that instead of asking him for a bunch of stuff. We still have to find Cas's brother too." He glanced at the angel, his grin widening at the half- smile he received for that.

Sam looked from one to the other and chuckled. "So what are we waiting for?"

As they continued toward the city center, they took turns explaining what had gone on while they were separated. Dean told Sam about Jo, and about the woods, about finding Castiel and even about that jerk Balthazar. Sam told his brother about his wanderings through the city. He got lost on the first day, after speaking to the man who'd helped him. Then he looked around the same night club Dean and Castiel visited the next night. And last night, he'd been caught in a group of demons who were curious enough to see how far the protection spell would go. Castiel just listened to the both of them.

Sam mentioning the protection spell once again made Dean think of how he received his own from Jo, in the meadow.

"So… you got a protection spell like I did." He glanced at Sam, arching a brow. "Did he kiss you?"

Sam gave him an incredulous stare. "What the hell, man?"

He laughed. "I'm just saying. That's how I got mine…"

Dean snickered as Sam's face turned red. Castiel just watched the pair curiously.

"Of course not!"

"Suuuuure, Sammy… I leave you alone for a day and you're off making magical boyfriends."

"Just shut up," Sam huffed, and Dean saw the makings of Bitchface Number Eight. "And after I didn't even say anything about you and the angel over here…"

He stormed past them. Dean blinked in confusion, looking at Castiel. Said angel merely shrugged, and the elder Winchester hurried to catch up to his brother.

"What about me and Cas? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all."

Castiel sighed, walking faster to match the quicker pace. Their party had grown once more, and somehow he sensed that he'd lost some quiet with it. But he couldn't quite bring himself to complain. At least the brothers were amusing.

He put his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, as he'd seen Dean do during the walk that day. It seemed like a human thing to do, so he figured he should get used to things like that. Something brushed against his hand, making a crinkling noise, and he pulled it out with a thoughtful frown. Dean's bag of chips. They must have fallen into the coat's large pockets in the fight with Sam. Curious, Castiel shook the bag, looking inside. There were still a few left, and he picked them out, popping them into his mouth as he hurried to catch up.

He liked them better than Cheetos and apples.


	6. Ghost Town

Chapter Six: Ghost Town ((Shiny Toy Guns))

Sam confirmed Dean's theory that the demons around the town were nocturnal. The younger Winchester had been traveling only in the day, making sure he'd found someplace to hide out in the hours before dusk. Even still, he'd gotten caught the previous night when a group of them had found his hiding spot in a small alleyway shed. Apparently they hadn't taken kindly to someone using their shed to sleep in. Luckily for Sam, there had only been three of them, and they weren't too terribly powerful. Hunters didn't deal much with demons, but they knew how to get rid of one, on the occasion that one was found. And after what had happened with their mother, demons were something the Winchesters knew a little more about than most hunters their age.

Sam knew the spell by heart, which was a very good thing. Dean knew a little more than half, but Latin was tricky and he hadn't had much practice with it. Still, after chanting the exorcism spell, the demons had been driven out of the humans they were possessing. And after that, the humans had disappeared. That usually didn't happen, and it confused Sam. It confused Dean as well, when he told him about it.

They would think about that later. The light was beginning to fade into that limbo between sunset and dusk, and they needed to find somewhere to hide for the night. Just because there were more of them now didn't mean they felt like getting into unnecessary fights before they could reach the city. None of the places they'd come across looked particularly inviting, not that any of them were expecting it at this point.

Just as they were about to give up and find an alley somewhere to take their chances with, Dean spotted another bar. It was much smaller than Balthazar's club, and Dean hoped that meant it was an actual bar this time. He figured they could go in and see what they could find, and if nothing else, they could go back to their previous idea. He didn't exactly want to spend the night hiding out behind a dumpster in an alley, so he was kind of grasping at any available option at this point. The others agreed.

The place wasn't very remarkable, like it was made to be inconspicuous. There wasn't even a sign to tell them what the place was called, unless you counted the little plastic tag on the door that read 'The Roadhouse'. Dean tried the door, finding it unlocked. Quietly, he poked his head inside to look around.

It was empty. There were a few tables scattered around, but the bar took up most of the room, all polished wood and thick supporting pillars. Behind the bar was everything in your typical bar, coolers and taps, sinks and empty glasses and a computer screen register.

But no people. It was suspicious. Demons weren't the trusting type. They wouldn't leave a bar unlocked at closing time. But it was too well- kept to be abandoned. Still, it looked safe for now, so Dean stepped inside, moving so Sam and Castiel could join him.

Dean looked around. The bar looked completely different from the night club, for which he was grateful. This was more his type of place. Small, quiet and low- key. Old movie posters hung from the walls, mostly old Westerns and action movies. A few framed photos joined them, some autographed by people who'd come by the bar. For something probably run by demons, it was pretty comfortable.

Sam seemed to share Dean's earlier suspicions as he sat down at the bar, twisting on the stool. "Where is everyone?"

"Too early, I guess? It's not really dark yet."

"Should we hide out then? Find a room or whatever where they won't look for the night?"

Castiel studied the dining area, eyes looking up to scan even the ceilings. As if the architecture impressed him more than anything else. And Dean supposed that could be the case. He didn't know how angels thought.

"I guess that'd be the best plan. A smaller place like this one probably has less people around in a night than other places. We'd be better off here, less chance of getting found."

Sam nodded, and Dean got up from his seat, leaving his brother and the angel in the main room. There was a swinging door that led to the kitchen, and he made a note of that. They still had to eat at some point. Across that door, in a square- shaped hall, was normal door, labeled 'Employees Only'. He figured it was as good a place to start as any, and turned the knob.

The door opened and Dean's eyes widened as he was greeted by a shotgun barrel to his face. He froze.

"Have trouble reading?"

His hands went up immediately in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, sorry. Not here for any trouble, I was just wondering why the place was empty."

"We're not open yet, obviously."

"Right…"

He took his eyes off the gun, glancing at the person holding it. A woman stared back at him, face set in a no- bullshit line. Her grip on the gun didn't falter. She looked older than Dean by at least ten years, probably more. Her blonde hair was cut at average length, brushing at her shoulders. She was dressed casually, a lot like Sam and Dean, a t- shirt under a blue over shirt and jeans.

"Any reason you're still here, then?" she spoke up again after a moment, a slight Southern drawl to the tone.

"Um…"

"Dean?"

His eyes widened again. Shit, Castiel. "It's fine, Cas, just—"

A dark- haired head popped into the hall before he could finish telling the other to stay back. "What's going on?"

Dean sighed. The woman cast a glance at Castiel, but kept the gun trained on Dean.

"Any more of you out there?"

"Just one," Castiel replied. He looked at Dean. "Are you alright?"

Dean frowned. "Cas, remind me to teach you how to react in dangerous situations, okay?"

He seemed confused, but nodded. Dean rolled his eyes. The woman shifted her shotgun, motioning toward the bar. "Out, both of you. Tell whoever else is in there not to try anything."

"We're not here to try anything; we were just trying to find somewhere to stay tonight."

"This look like a hotel to you, son?"

She marched them both out to the main room, where Sam was still sitting on the bar stool. He had his arms raised up though, so he'd obviously heard the woman's warning. She shifted the gun again, motioning them to sit. Dean complied, pulling Castiel down onto the stool beside him.

"Okay, I know this looks really bad," Sam started placatingly. Dean was almost relieved. If anyone could get this woman to hear them out, it was his brother. "We were just trying to get out of the street before it got dark. I got into a fight with some demons yesterday and didn't wanna be around them again tonight."

She looked them over, judging the sincerity of his statement. "That's assuming you're not demons yourselves."

Castiel frowned, insulted. "I'm an angel."

This made her laugh. "That's a new one."

Dean sighed. "Look, we're not demons. Aren't they like, nocturnal around here anyway?"

"Usually. Not to say they can't get up early if they want."

"You keep saying 'they'. You're not one, are you?" Sam looked her over.

"Well aren't you a smart one?" she grinned humorlessly, although the gun didn't move.

Dean ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit. They were getting nowhere fast. "Okay look. We'll just get out of your hair and go back to our original idea of camping out behind a dumpster or whatever."

He waited for her to agree, but when he looked at her, she was staring at his arm. He arched a brow, following her gaze. She was looking at the necklace Jo had taken from Lucifer and wrapped around his wrist.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked finally.

Sam and Castiel looked as well, curious to see what it was. Dean quickly pulled his arm behind his back. Jo had told him not to let anyone see it if he could help it.

"A friend of mine gave it to me."

"You friends with the Devil then?"

"What? No!" He stared at her in surprise. Beside him, Sam frowned. "Although I apparently I killed him."

She arched a brow. "I had heard something about that."

The other two just stared. She lowered her gun, stepping closer to Dean. He let her. She studied him intently. After a few more tense moments, she sighed.

"Should've known."

Dean was confused. Sam and Castiel were beyond confused. The woman set the gun on the bar, leaning against it easily.

"She's got a protection spell on you. I would've noticed it sooner, but I was too busy wondering how you'd gotten through the spells on the bar."

Dean frowned. It was starting to click into place. "Jo?"

She nodded. "My daughter. I'm Ellen."

"Oh." Well that was unexpected. "I'm Dean. That's my brother, Sam, and Castiel."

Just like that, the air around them relaxed. "Alright boys, welcome to the Roadhouse. What'll you have?"

Dean laughed. The woman who'd spent the past ten minutes debating whether or not to shoot them was offering them drinks like nothing had happened. He wasn't going to complain. "Two beers and a Pepsi."

Beside him, Castiel brightened. He didn't care much for the alcohol he'd had at Balthazar's club, but he had liked the soda Dean shared with him at the bus station. Ellen nodded, grabbing two bottles out of the nearest cooler and filling up a glass from the bar.

"So this place is protected by magic too?" Sam asked, taking the bottle from her gratefully.

She nodded. "Jo's doing. Keeps most of the demons out. The worst ones, at least. Everyone else, I don't mind, so long as they don't make trouble." She looked at the three of them. "You guys want something to eat?"

By the time the sun finished setting and the bar opened for the night, the boys were comfortable and fed for the night. Ellen offered to let them stay the night in the guest room she had upstairs. There was no pull- out bed, but there was a pretty good couch, she assured them, and plenty of extra blankets and pillows.

They stayed at the bar for now, not quite ready to sleep. All the spells Jo had put in place, both on the bar and with the Winchesters, kept the bar's patrons from finding out exactly what they were. So they were mostly ignored for the night, only Ellen coming by every so often to chat and refill their drinks. She was friendly, when she wasn't pointing a gun at them. She had a sort of motherly quality about her, taking care of them. Their drinks and food had been on the house, she assured them, mostly because she felt bad for almost shooting them.

It was getting late, and after a few more drinks— double the amount of Pepsi in Castiel's case. Dean made a note to watch out for him becoming overly caffeinated in the future— they got up to head to the guest room. Ellen waved them off with a smile.

Before they could make it, however, the front door slammed open. Everyone in the bar stopped what they were doing, staring at whoever was making the scene. Not that there were many patrons in the bar that night. Mostly weak supernatural creatures, a few lesser demons. But it was still far quieter than it should have been in a bar mid- night, as two women slid into the bar. They looked around, eyes flitting to inky black as they scanned the bar's occupants. Demons.

Most of the customers went back to their drinking and conversation. A few even tossed their money on the tables and started sneaking toward the exit. The women sauntered over to Ellen at the bar. Dean watched them carefully. Beside him, Sam was doing the same.

The first one, a small blonde with hair cut short and a playful grin, asked Ellen something the brothers couldn't hear over the din of the bar. She shook her head. The second frowned, obviously the more serious of the pair, with auburn hair curling loosely to the middle of her back. She snapped something, her mood soured by whatever Ellen had answered with.

Then she turned to the three of them and smirked.

Dean heard Sam curse beside him. The brunette nudged her friend with an elbow, and she turned to them as well, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"Hey Sam! We've been looking for you!"

Sam tensed.

Ellen cleared her throat. "I don't want any trouble in here. If you're here to start some, you'd best just leave now."

"No trouble at all," the brunette chuckled, crossing her arms. "Just here to see a friend."

Dean looked from them to his brother, confusion evident. Sam bit his lip. "Meg and Ruby. They're the ones that caught me the other night. I thought I'd gotten rid of them though."

"Dude, you got your ass handed to you by some chicks?"

"Shut up, Dean." Sam shook his head, taking an instinctive step back as the two advanced.

More patrons were starting to leave, obviously sensing trouble. Dean took a step forward, keeping Castiel and his brother a bit behind him. The blonde continued to smile at them, stepping closer.

"Aww, look Ruby, he picked up some friends."

Ruby looked them over. "Another human too. And something else."

Narrowing his eyes, Dean pushed Castiel farther back, out of her vision. The last thing these demons needed to know was about the angel they were carting around. "What the hell do you want with Sam?"

Meg laughed. She was close now; she could reach out and tap him on the shoulder if she wanted. "Our boss wants to see him. So we've been trying to take him there. He hasn't been very cooperative."

Sam snorted. "No shit."

She turned to him, shaking her head in mock- admonishment. "Sam, c'mon… we're only trying to do our job here."

"It's not very pleasant when we come back without doing our job," Ruby added.

At the bar, Ellen cleared her throat. "I told you, if you're here to make trouble—"

Ruby flicked out a hand in her direction. Immediately she went flying back, hitting the back of the counter. This broke the tense moment. Sam shot past Dean, slamming into Ruby and sending both of them to the ground. Dean reached out, grabbing Meg by the shoulder before she could turn to help the other woman.

"Cas, go help Ellen!" he snapped, and the angel nodded, hurrying to the bar with trench coat tails flying behind him.

The rest of the bar's customers booked it, leaving them alone. Ruby slammed a knee into Sam's side, knocking the breath from him. Dean twisted Meg's arm behind her back sharply, only to reel back as she rocked her head back, hitting him in the chin. Castiel ducked behind the bar, helping Ellen sit up from where she'd landed. She was a bit disoriented, but she wasn't hurt.

Ruby quickly switched their positions, knocking Sam back into the wood floor hard enough to make him see stars for a moment. Meg ducked the punch Dean aimed for her, sweeping a leg out to knock his legs out from under him. He fell back just in time to dodge, but she was ready, pressing a palm to his chest that sent a wave of demon power through him, sending him through the air as it had Ellen.

Dean hit the wall opposite them, crashing into a table. It broke down the middle under his weight. He grimaced and moved to get up, but found himself unable to, held down by an invisible force. Meg took her time moving closer, her arm still outstretched, keeping him still. Across the room, Ruby held Sam down, a hand tight around his neck, squeezing air slowly from him as he struggled against it.

"Now," Meg chirped, "As much fun as this was, we've still got a job to do. And that's—"

She stopped, flinging her other hand out in time to catch Castiel, who'd ducked behind the bar to tackle her. She knocked him against the wall beside Dean, holding them both there with her power. "Nice try."

"Leave them alone!" Castiel growled, squirming against the hold more than Dean could hope to. Must be an angel resistance. His blue eyes narrowed in fury, but without his Grace, he couldn't break free.

Instead, Meg made a loose fist with the hand holding Dean in place. Immediately, he felt like his insides were being crushed, forcing a pained yell from his throat. Castiel fought harder, shouting at her to stop.

She did, and Dean gasped in a breath.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted, we're supposed to take Sam back. Our orders don't say anything about the rest of you, which means we can pretty much do whatever the hell we want with you."

Behind them, Sam choked out something before Ruby tightened her grip. "So here's the deal, Sam. Come with us, and we let your friends keep breathing."

"Sam, don't!" Dean hissed.

His brother nodded, and Ruby eased back, letting him take in a gasp of air.

"Fine," he said, coughing again as he struggled to right his breathing. "Just leave them alone."

Ruby patted his cheek. "Thatta boy."

Dean fought against the hold once again, but Meg kept them both in place. Sam shot him an apologetic glance.

Before anything else could happen, there was a surprised yelp, and Ruby's weight was suddenly off him. Confused, he looked up in time to see her fly across the floor, landing on her stomach.

Meg seemed shocked by this as well. "What the hell?"

Sam was on his feet in an instant. The front door was knocked right from its hinges by a kick. Everyone turned to look at it, and Meg went flying back as well. Both Dean and Castiel slid down the wall, and the hunter would have fallen forward if not for Castiel moving to hold him up.

The bar was silent. Then there was a snap of fingers. Meg and Ruby disappeared abruptly. The remaining occupants of the bar looked around in shock, before a figure stepped into the open doorway.

"Boy, you guys throw a mean party."

Castiel gaped, staring at the grinning man.

"Gabriel!"


	7. Remedy

Chapter Seven: Remedy ((Little Boots))

Everyone that remained at the bar stared at the stranger who'd walked in. The man looked back at them. He was shorter than Castiel by a few inches, although he looked smaller in jeans and brown button- up shirt and jacket that were all a little baggy. He had light brown hair, slicked back for the most part, a few strands coming free to fall over hazel eyes. He regarded the majority of the room with little interest, until his gaze landed on Castiel.

"What are you doing here?"

Dean finally looked away from the stranger, turning to the angel. "Cas?"

Castiel frowned, slightly confused. This obviously wasn't the reaction he was looking for. "I've been trying to find you."

"Why?"

"I…"

"As glad as I am that those demons are out of here, I'm gonna need someone to explain a few things to me," Ellen's voice interrupted them, as she leaned against the bar. She scowled at the mess the fight had left. A few broken chairs, a table split in half. Some of the pictures on the walls had cracked as people were slammed against them. Not to mention all the spilled drinks, broken bottles and generally a night with no customers.

"Oh," Castiel blinked. "My apologies. This is my brother, Gabriel, who I've been looking for. He got rid of those demons."

"How, exactly?" Sam, ever the Good Samaritan, started righting chairs and picking up glass, even as he cast Gabriel curious glances.

"Angels have no power in Purgatory, but archangels still have a bit, being more powerful to start with than normal angels."

Dean nodded, recalling what Balthazar had told them. "Not too much though."

"Enough to get rid of some stupid demons," Gabriel snapped. "Also, what gives? I thought you two were supposed to be hunters? Shouldn't you know how to deal with them?"

"And how exactly do you know that?" Dean narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously.

The archangel rolled his eyes. "Balthazar. Not to give you guys a big head or anything, but word's spreading and you two are pretty popular gossip around here."

Castiel tilted his head. "I don't see how that should change the size of their head."

Dean's expression softened. "Figure of speech, Cas."

"Oh."

Gabriel made his way to the other end of the bar, where Dean and Castiel were still resting against the far wall. The angel wasn't holding Dean up any longer, even if his chest still hurt a bit. The smaller man grabbed Castiel by his trench coat.

"C'mon. You've spent too much time with these clowns. Let's get you back home before you start picking up bad habits."

Dean made to protest, grabbing onto Castiel's other arm. "Hey…"

Castiel beat him to it, however, and resisted his brother's pull. "Gabriel stop. I didn't come all the way out here to find you, just to return empty- handed."

Gabriel glared at Dean, before turning to look at Castiel with a sigh. "Cas, did you ever wonder why I'm still here? I should've been home awhile ago, right? That's why you came looking."

The dark- haired man nodded.

"I'm still here because I don't wanna go. I like it here, believe it or not."

Dean could tell from the tone he was using that this was complete bullshit. Hunter's instincts aside, Dean could read people. It came in handy for poker and pool. And Gabriel was sending out all the wrong signs. Something was keeping him here, and it wasn't the charming locale. But he didn't say anything. If that's what he wanted Castiel to believe, it was far from him to say otherwise.

Castiel wasn't happy with his brother's response, however. "That's ridiculous. What could be here that would make staying here worthwhile?"

Gabriel opened his mouth to reply, before thinking better of it. Finally he grinned. "Well… the food's pretty good."

Righting an upturned table, Sam snorted.

"Look," he continued, "You've got nothing down here, Cas. You can't make me do anything I don't wanna do. You never could anyway. So you should just go home before you get hurt." He cast a glance at Dean at the last statement, prompting a confused frown from the hunter.

Castiel was adamant. "If you're going to send me home, you have to send Sam and Dean home as well."

Well, that was a good idea. If Gabriel still had his power, he could put them all back where they belonged right now. No more walking all day to find some guy who may not even be able to help them. Dean was tired of dealing with angels anyway. Outside of Castiel, he hadn't exactly warmed up to them. In fact, most of them were dicks. So much for angelic stereotypes.

Instead, Gabriel shook his head. "No can do. I don't have that much power. I might have some of it, but not as much as usual. It's limited here, and I used a lot getting rid of those demons."

Castiel crossed his arms. "Then I'm not leaving. Dean helped me, and I intend to help him and his brother in return."

While part of him was grateful that Castiel wasn't leaving them, it would technically be in his best interests to go. Gabriel was right, without his powers, Cas could get hurt here.

But the angel was having none of it. Blue eyes narrowed in determination, he stepped away from the wall, heading to the bar. Ellen seemed to sense what he was after, because she had a glass of Pepsi on the counter for him as soon as he reached it. Must have been a bartender thing. He nodded his thanks and downed the soda in one go. Like he was drinking a shot. Dean bit back a laugh at that.

Gabriel arched a brow, but said nothing to argue. Dean knew Castiel had won this argument. He knew how stubborn younger brothers could be from personal experience, and he knew the look when an older brother just gives up. He moved to join Castiel at the bar.

Dean pushed himself off the wall, pain finally fading enough to start helping Sam clean up. The younger Winchester had already righted all the furniture that wasn't broken, so Dean grabbed a broom from Ellen and started sweeping up broken glass. After a moment, Castiel came to hold the dustpan.

Ellen closed up early that night. They weren't getting any more business after that fight. After cleaning everything up— even Gabriel pitched in after awhile, although that was after Sam pestering him that he'd made some of the mess flinging demons around— they moved into the living area above the bar. There was only one guest room. It had already been small for three people, but for four it was an argument waiting to happen. Ellen informed them that if she had to break up any fights, it would be with the shotgun, and she left them to argue over the couch.

The room barely had enough room for the furniture in it. The couch took up the most. It could probably fit two of them if they curled up. It was maroon, and a much nicer couch than Balthazar's basement- diving, Dean noticed with a grin. Besides the couch, there was a recliner the same color, an end table between them, and a bookshelf. So three of them could sleep comfortably, and one would get the floor.

When Sam suggested Rock Paper Scissors, Dean just grabbed a blanket and settled down on the rug. Castiel tilted his head, confused.

"Don't even bother with it. I'll take the floor."

Sam grinned. "That's just because he always loses."

The angel just handed Dean a pillow. Sam took the recliner. He was too tall to curl up on the couch and hope to fit someone else on there, even someone as small as Gabriel. So the other two took the couch, resting their heads against the arm of either side. Blankets and pillows were distributed, and everyone settled in without difficulty.

Dean was the first to fall asleep.

He wasn't the first to wake, however. He knew this without even bothering to open his eyes. Instead he listened to the hushed voices speaking, too comfortable to get up just yet. Someone had piled more blankets beside him during the night, and it was nice and warm.

"They're adorable, really." Dean could hear the smirk in Gabriel's tone.

"This should probably be freaking me out more than it does," Sam replied. "Still weird though."

"Oh, c'mon…"

"Nope. Not going there. I want nothing to do with it."

There was a pause, and for a moment, Dean supposed Gabriel had actually listened to his brother.

"…You think it's serious?"

"Gabriel!" Sam hissed. "I said I didn't wanna know! I don't wanna think about it!"

The archangel's voice was teasing. "I wonder if they've done it yet…"

"Gabe!"

Sam forgot to whisper this time, and Dean opened his eyes to stare at his brother. Green eyes widened, and Sam looked away, face warm. "Sorry…"

Dean blinked in confusion, turning to Gabriel. "Leave him alone."

"Why do you think I did anything?"

"Because I've met you. Now stop messing with him."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, stretching out on the couch. It was then that he noticed the other side was empty.

"Where's Cas?"

Sam gave him an odd look. Gabriel snickered. Dean stared at them until his brother pointed at the blankets beside him. It was then that he noticed the blankets were too warm to just be cloth. And they were moving. Dean could just see a bit of dark hair peeking out from the top of one. Castiel was still asleep, dead to the world, wedged between the couch and Dean's side. He felt heat rise to his face, glaring at Gabriel, who looked ready to fall off the couch with suppressed laughter. He tossed a pillow at the archangel, and it bounced off his head.

Dean slowly moved away, trying to get up without waking Castiel. Last time, he got kicked in the side. Castiel didn't seem to have a problem with sleep, but he didn't do waking up very well.

He got just enough space between them to figure he was safe, when something hit his wrist. Glancing down, he saw Castiel's fingers curl around it. The angel made a protesting noise from under the blankets, peeking one barely- open blue eye above the comforter.

"Um… morning?"

Castiel blinked, staring at him for a moment. Then he seemed to fully wake up, quickly pulling his hand back and curling against the side of the couch.

"Oh."

Well, at least he didn't get kicked. "What're you doing down here? Did you fall or something?"

The angel shook his head. "I moved last night, while everyone was asleep. I find it difficult to sleep if I'm not… beside someone."

Dean supposed that made sense. He'd only been to sleep twice, and the first time he'd had Dean beside him. It was understandable. It was awkward, but it wasn't unbearable. Once he got used to sleeping, he probably wouldn't have that problem anymore.

He shrugged. "Whatever. We should probably get going soon."

Castiel looked relieved, like he thought Dean was going to be mad at him. The hunter offered a small smile.

Gabriel smirked at Sam, who made a face and buried his head in a pillow.

Ellen wouldn't let them leave without breakfast, which Dean wasn't about to argue with. She had pancakes for all of them, with bacon on the side. Dean could have hugged her.

He chewed on a piece of bacon. "Okay, so we shouldn't be far from city center."

Gabriel poured an obscene amount of syrup on his plate, drowning his poor pancakes. "What do you want there?"

"We're going to see a guy named Chuck. It was apparently his idea to bring us here, so he'll know how to send us back."

"Why would he do that?"

Dean shrugged, watching Castiel try to fit an entire pancake in his mouth at once. "When Jo told me about it, she said he needed our help for something. Something about two guys fighting each other around here. Lucifer and Crowley. But I don't see much fighting going on, since I apparently killed one of them."

Gabriel dropped his fork, staring at Dean with wide eyes. "What?"

"When I got transported here, some of the magic killed Lucifer. That's what Jo said anyway, when I tripped over his dead body."

The archangel sat back in his chair, grabbing for his orange juice. "I didn't think that was possible."

Castiel said something, hopelessly muffled by pancake. The others waited until he'd chewed and swallowed the thing before he tried again. "I wouldn't think it was that easy to kill the devil."

Dean shrugged, finishing his coffee. "All I know is what she told me. And he looked pretty dead. I did mention a corpse, didn't I?"

"Dude, we're trying to eat," Sam grumbled, shifting a piece of bacon around in syrup on his plate.

His brother arched a brow. "Since when are you squeamish, Sammy? Just last week we had dinner while discussing the finer points of decapitation."

Sam scowled.

Gabriel wrinkled his nose. "Such a charming life you lead."

The younger Winchester decided to change the subject. "So Gabriel, are you coming with us to the city center?"

Castiel frowned, fork sticking out from his lips. As if any other option would be a personal insult. Which in a manner of speaking, it would be.

"Yeah, I guess." The archangel shrugged, mopping up syrup with the last bit of pancake. "Someone's gotta make sure you all don't get yourselves killed along the way. Plus I know exactly where it is. I'm surprised you guys made it as far as you did without me."

"It was definitely a lot quieter," Dean smirked.

"See? Look how you suffered!"

Castiel tilted his head. Dean supposed he didn't get Gabriel's humor either. At least it wasn't just him losing his touch.

They finished breakfast and set off, after helping Ellen with the dishes. She all but shoved them out the door, threatening to shoot them if they ever brought that much trouble back to her bar again. She smiled while she said it, and Dean hoped she was only joking.

But he wouldn't put it past her.

"Anyway," Gabriel started up conversation again as they ambled down the empty sidewalk, "Now that Luci's gone, Chuck won't have anything for you to do, I'm sure. So he oughta just send you right home. Personally, I don't really see why he needed you both here in the first place, if a little spell was enough to do him in. That's actually pretty anticlimactic, don't you think?"

Sam scowled at him. In fact, Sam hadn't really done much but glare since breakfast. Dean wondered who had said something to piss him off. He wasn't going to mention it. Best case scenario, he'd snap at Dean and be mad at him. Worst case scenario, he'd talk about it. Better to just let him get over it.

It was probably something stupid Gabriel said, anyway. The archangel hadn't really stopped talking since they'd met him. Dean had a feeling he would have to gag him to get him to shut up. Not that he was thinking about it or anything.

By now, Sam and Gabriel were talking about something as they walked. Dean wasn't really paying attention. They kept to the back, leaving Dean and Castiel at the front, walking along. Castiel had been quiet this morning, quiet even by his standards. Dean thought he'd be happy to have found his brother, but he seemed more disappointed than anything else.

"Hey," he spoke up. "Sleep okay?"

Castiel glanced at him, shrugging lightly as he'd seen Sam and Dean do. "I'm getting used to it."

"Have you had any dreams yet?"

"None that I can recall." The angel looked away for a moment before turning back. "I apologize for this morning…"

This morning? "Oh, the moving thing? That's what you're worried about?"

"It made you uncomfortable, and I—"

"It's fine, Cas. Don't sweat it."

Castiel looked ready to keep right on protesting, but he was stopped abruptly as Gabriel slid between them, an arm over either of their shoulders and the mother of all grins plastered on his face.

"You two really are just the cutest thing."

He reached up, patting both angel and hunter on the cheek. Dean shoved him away with a glare. Castiel just stared at his brother in confusion. Behind them, Sam chuckled. Dean supposed that getting Sammy to laugh was almost worth being the butt of one of Gabriel's jokes.

Just this once, at least.


	8. Kick Ass

Chapter Eight: Kick Ass ((Mika))

It was cloudy on that fourth day. It still came as a surprise to Dean that Purgatory had such nice weather at ALL, let alone so regularly. But it wasn't raining fire or puppies, so he couldn't exactly complain. That would make this trip unnecessarily difficult.

It was the type of cloudy day where the humidity hung thick in the air, and you couldn't tell if it was going to start pouring or not. It did provide a nice breeze, however, and the cloud cover was relaxing after three days of walking in the sun. The older hunter noticed that Castiel's face had been looking a bit pink the previous day, but if the angel didn't notice anything was amiss, he wasn't about to discuss the uses of something as stupid as sunscreen.

They'd been walking in silence for the better part of an hour, not for lack of trying on Gabriel's part. He'd been working to keep conversations going all morning, topics ranging from movies they'd seen— which Castiel had nothing to offer— to books they'd read— which Dean was mostly unimpressed by— and nothing had taken for more than a few minutes. Then he'd gotten creative. A game of Never Have I Ever lasted all of two hours before the combined embarrassment of Sam and Castiel stopped them. Castiel because he was an angel, and Sam because he REALLY didn't need to hear about the things his brother got up to in his alone time. He could have gone his whole life without that particular brand of mental scarring, especially considering the things Gabriel came up with when it was his turn. It turns out archangels have a lot of free time on their hands these days, and Gabriel definitely wasn't too hung up on the whole 'virtue' concept.

Eventually, even Gabriel had run out of ideas, just filing along quietly with the rest of the party. It made the walk seem so much longer. His mood turned sour when they reached a fork in the road sometime in the afternoon. He knew where they were going, and even offered them a short cut down the crossing road. They debated it for a moment, Gabriel insisting it would cut hours from their journey and Dean insisting that Jo told him to stay on the road. Sam agreed that if Gabriel knew where he was going— which he assured them, he did— then it would make things easier on them to shave off some time. Castiel had taken Dean's side, as much as he trusted his brother's sense of direction, he thought it was best to stay on course.

They were at an impasse. They decided to break for lunch while they decided. There was a sandwich for each of them, courtesy of Ellen, who was quickly becoming Dean's favorite bartender, both here and on Earth, and a can of soda. Castiel's eyes brightened considerably when he discovered this.

Lunch was held in mostly silence, in the grass beside the two perpendicular roads. If they weren't quiet, they'd start arguing over which way to go. Everyone seemed on edge today, whether it was because of the attack the previous night, or something else, no one could seem to put a finger on it. But it was causing them to snap at each other over things they wouldn't have batted an eye over on a normal day.

Finally, Sam approached his brother. Dean was finishing up his sandwich— turkey and ham and cheese with mustard, he could have hugged Ellen again— and glanced at the other as he sat down. "What's up Sammy?"

Sam frowned in that way of his that signaled he didn't know how to say exactly what he was thinking. Dean lay back on the grass, propped up on his elbows.

"How do you know Lucifer is really dead?"

"Is that what's been bugging you all day? Man, don't worry about it."

The younger Winchester huffed as his brother dismissed the thought. "I'm just saying. He's the DEVIL. He can't be that easy to kill."

"I think I know a dead guy when I see one, Sammy, chill."

"But what if that wasn't really him?"

"Jo said—"

"How can you be sure she was telling the truth?"

Dean frowned. "What good would it do her to lie?"

"I dunno! Maybe she was working with him the whole time!"

"Then why would she help me? According to her, we were brought here to stop him from this civil war crap."

"Well, think about it. If we think he's dead, then he can wait until we're gone and go back to his evil plans!"

"Sam, I think you're reading too much into this…"

"I just think we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss someone so dangerous!"

Dean stared at his brother. "What's up with you? You're freaking out over this, and you've been so moody all day I was tempted to see if Ellen had any Midol for you."

"Oh, that's just hilarious," Sam snapped, glaring at the other.

"I just don't see what's got you all pissy!"

"You're not taking this seriously!"

"That's never stopped me before!"

"Dean, it's the fucking devil, and you're brushing it off like just another hunt!"

"I was a little busy trying to figure out where you'd dropped off at to be too concerned!"

"Well no one asked you to!" he blurted out.

Dean stared him down for a moment, green eyes narrowed. Then he got to his feet.

"Dean…"

"Save it, Sam." His brother grit out, turning his back on the other as he stormed off.

Sam raked a hand through his hair with a frustrated noise, watching him. Dean pushed past the two angels, who had been having their own conversation, grabbing Castiel by the arm and pulling him along. Gabriel snapped something at him, to which the hunter replied that if the archangel wanted to take his shortcut so damned bad, he was welcome to, and proceeded to half- drag the angel down the road. Castiel was too surprised to do much of anything except let himself be pulled, wondering what had happened between the brothers to anger Dean so much.

The younger sibling got up, arms folded across his chest as he stepped up to where Gabriel was still watching the others. "Let's go."

Gabriel tilted his head to look up at him. "Wanna take the shortcut?"

Sam arched a brow. "I'd love to."

"Dean, what's going on?"

"Nothing." The hunter kept on determinedly. He'd let Castiel go after they were far enough from their brothers, letting him walk on his own.

His pace was quick, fueled by frustration and adrenaline. Castiel had to walk faster to keep up with him.

"Why did we leave Sam and Gabriel?"

"Because!" he snapped. He turned to look at the angel, and his tone immediately softened after one look at the other's wide blue eyes. "Because your brother was so intent on his shortcut, and Sam wanted to be a moody bitch today."

"I don't like the idea of separating," the angel continued calmly. "If something happens, our defenses are halved."

"Nothing happens in the day, remember? They're all nocturnal. We'll be fine until tonight, and by then we'll have found someplace to stay."

Castiel sighed.

"Just some time to cool off, okay, Cas?" Dean shrugged, trying to do just that. There wasn't any cause to start snapping at the angel as well. "Once we get to the city, it'll be alright."

He stared at the hunter for a moment, studying him, before nodding. "Alright."

This actually made Dean smile a little, pleased. "Besides, you're a lot better company than your brother."

"I have heard that before. Although most assure me that he's the more exciting of the two."

"That's not always a good thing."

Beside him, Castiel stopped suddenly, tense. Dean paused to look back at him, opening his mouth to ask what was wrong. The angel quickly held out a hand, keeping him silent. Two pairs of eyes scanned the surroundings carefully, looking for anything amiss. There was nothing. The same clouds, the same light breeze rustling the trees around them.

Then something shot out, slamming into Dean and tackling him to the ground with a shout.

He fought against the attacker, jerking an elbow back to dislodge them. A hand grabbed his upper arm before it could connect, squeezing tight enough to bruise. Another hand pressed his head down, his cheek scraping roughly on the brick.

Beside him, Castiel yelped, and there was a thud. With his head turned away, he couldn't tell what was going on. "Cas!"

"Don't worry, he's just fine," a familiar female voice purred into his ear, fingers gripping his short hair to keep him pressed hard against the road.

"Meg."

"Aww, you remembered me, I'm flattered!"

Dean could hear struggling beside him. Castiel was saying something, too low for Dean to make out. He felt it safe to assume that Ruby was showing him the same care that he was currently receiving beside the angel. Instead he focused on getting Meg off him so he could help the other. Meg kept him pinned with her weight, which wouldn't have been a problem throwing off, except she had this habit of slamming his head into the brick when he tried to move. He was disoriented after the first attempt and downright dizzy after the second. By the third, he was pretty much ready to pass out.

Still, he struggled, trying his best to knock her off his back. His head collided with the pavement again and he cursed as his vision whited out for a moment.

"Just hold still. We need live bait, so I'd hate to bash your pretty head in too much."

"Bait?" he growled out, trying to pull his arm from her grip.

She only tightened it, leaning in close to speak against his ear. "We need your brother to come with us, and he's got the archangel with him. So we're gonna make sure he knows we've got his brother so we can get him to do what we say."

There was a scream beside them, and Meg turned to see what had happened. Dean took advantage of her distraction, wrenching his arm free and slamming it into her side. She yelped, falling off of him and onto the road. He got up, ignoring the pain that flared in his head at the motion, and reversing their positions. This lasted all of five seconds before Meg shoved him, a hand on his chest throwing him back as it had the night before.

He flew back, colliding with Castiel and knocking both of them to the ground. Dean groaned, his head swimming and his eyes refusing to focus correctly. The angel sat him up before getting to his feet. He tried to get up as well, but couldn't manage more than half the motion before falling back down, straight on his ass.

Meg was up again, and Castiel moved to tackle her. She flung up a hand, keeping him from moving from his place in front of Dean. The hunter blinked, trying to get his vision to stop shifting long enough to get up. He vaguely noted Ruby sprawled beside him, unconscious and unmoving.

Castiel was speaking again, low and growling. Meg yelled at him to stop, her hand held up to keep him in place as she stormed over, landing a punch to the angel's jaw. His head tipped back, and he might have taken a step back if Meg hadn't been holding him to the spot. But he continued whatever he was saying. Dean caught a few words, but he couldn't understand them. By now, Meg was screaming, panicked and desperate, yelling at him to stop. Dean wanted to know what Castiel was saying to have this kind of effect on her.

But his vision swam again, and this time he did pass out.

Gabriel had taken to humming as they walked. He figured it was a safe enough thing to do. Over the past hour, he'd started learning the safe things to do around Sam. Asking about why he was upset with his brother was not one of them. It had prompted a good ten minutes of glaring at the archangel; as if HE were the one Sam was upset with. Which he wasn't. At least, not as far as he knew.

Finally, Sam decided to start up conversation, which Gabriel was almost grateful for, until he heard what the question was.

"So why don't you wanna go home?"

The shorter man frowned, eyes on the road as they walked. "I told you, I like it here."

Sam gave him a knowing look. "Bullshit. What's the real reason?"

"It's complicated."

"How?"

Gabriel tipped his head up to meet the other's eyes. "You've never been to Heaven, so it's not like you'd know. But there's one very big downside to the place."

"What's that?" Sam arched a brow. Heaven was… well, HEAVEN. It was supposed to be paradise. What could be wrong with it?

"It's so incredibly BORING." Gabriel threw up his hands. "All that peaceful serenity gets on my nerves. I'd been hiding out on Earth for awhile anyway. I liked that place best, don't get me wrong. But I got in some trouble there, and wound up here. So between this and Heaven, I'll stick around here for a little longer."

Sam guessed he could understand that. Gabriel seemed like the type to need constant amusement. "Alright, I'll buy that. So why's Cas trying so hard to get you back?"

Gabriel shrugged. "They probably told him to. It's not exactly proper to have an archangel down here slumming it up."

"Even if you don't wanna go?"

"He can't make me. No matter where we are, I'll always be more powerful than him. But he'll try his best to convince me."

"That won't work, will it?"

He grinned. "Not really. I'm hoping your brother distracts him enough to where he forgets this mission of his."

"Ugh. Please don't mention that again." Sam made a face.

The archangel laughed, fully planning to start describing in detail exactly how he figured the older Winchester would distract his brother, but he stopped, glancing up curiously.

Sam caught the look. "What?"

He frowned. "Something's wrong."

"Wrong?"

It was then that he sensed the spell. He cursed under his breath, grabbing Sam by the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "We gotta go find Cas and Dean."

Green eyes widened. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Just c'mon."

Before he could agree or protest, Sam was yanked right off the road by the smaller man, dragging him through the trees and shrubs that had served as scenery for the past hour. He couldn't see where they were going, but he trusted Gabriel to know how to get them to their brothers. Instead he worked on trying to keep up, ducking the occasional low tree branch in their path.

It only took a few minutes to get to the other pair, but before then, Gabriel sensed the spell being used again. That spell could only have come from an angel, and it could only mean one thing: demons.

They tore through the trees and into the clearing, just in time to see Meg fall back, crumbling to a heap on the brick road. Castiel was standing, taking deep breaths with his back to them. Dean was behind him, curled on his side, and Ruby was a bit away, knocked out cold.

"Dean!" Sam was at his brother's side in an instant, whatever anger he'd felt that afternoon gone and replaced with concern.

Castiel whirled around, for a moment expecting there to be more demons. Seeing Sam and Gabriel, he relaxed visibly, before kneeling beside Sam and his brother.

"We were ambushed," he explained, tilting Dean's head to the side to inspect the damage. "I think his head suffered the worst damage."

Sure enough, his left temple was covered in angry bruises from hitting the road. There were a few scrapes from where his skin met the edge of a brick, and thin lines of blood trailed down the side of his face.

"Shit," Sam winced, turning a bit to look at Gabriel. "Can you help him? Do you have enough signal or whatever?"

Gabriel chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I might… but if I do, it'll take awhile to recharge again."

Castiel, by this time, had pulled the older hunter's head into his lap, carefully dabbing at the cuts with the edge of his trench coat. The other two were still talking, debating whether to risk using the rest of Gabriel's Grace to heal him, but Castiel ignored them, instead concentrated on being gentle as he wiped away the remaining blood. Nothing looked too terribly bad, nothing life- threatening at least. But from what little Castiel knew about humans, he knew that their bones could be cracked far too easily for their own good.

Dean shifted under him, and the angel paused. Green eyes blinked open, staring up into blue ones. Castiel's shoulders slumped in relief.

"Cas?"

"It's alright, Dean. You're injured though, so try not to move."

Dean closed his eyes again, and for a moment, Castiel thought he'd passed out again. The angel ran his fingers through the other's hair softly, and he opened them again.

"What happened to Meg?"

"Angel magic," Castiel smiled. "Exorcism."

Dean chuckled. He sounded tired. "That's pretty badass, Cas."

"Thank you."

By then, the other two noticed that Dean was awake. Sam leaned in closer, and even Gabriel took a few steps forward.

"Dean, hey. Are you okay?"

"Walk in the park, Sammy." He managed a tiny grin. If it was weak, no one said anything. "Although I've got one bitch of a headache going on."

"Hey Gabe, how long until we get to the city center?" Sam was debating whether they could keep going. If it was close enough, they could make it tonight and get Dean fixed up. If it was too far, he'd have to convince the archangel to use some magic.

Gabriel frowned in thought, looking at the horizon. The spires had been growing steadily for the entirety of the day. They were close. "I'd say about an hour. A little more if we're moving slow."

Sam nodded, turning back to his brother. "Can you make that, Dean?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Not like I haven't hit my head before."

Castiel frowned, but didn't say anything. Sam stood, and he and the angel helped Dean to his feet slowly, careful not to make him dizzy again. The last thing they needed was him passing out again.

"I'll keep it in reserve," Gabriel assured the younger Winchester. "If he starts looking worse, I'll take care of it."

Sam nodded. The archangel led the way, while the other three brought up the rear, Dean supported between brother and angel. After a few minutes, he started to protest, determined to walk on his own. They let him, under careful watch.

True to his word, Gabriel brought them to the castle's gates in an hour and a half.


	9. The Boys Are Too Refined

Chapter Nine: The Boys Are Too Refined ((The Hush Sound))

The castle looked like it belonged to some mad scientist from an old horror movie. It was topped all in dark spires, ink black against the late afternoon sun. The building itself was made of dark green, forest green brick to be exact. Sam didn't think they made bricks in forest green, but that was hardly the most important thing to be focusing on at that point.

The party stepped through the wrought iron gates— also green, for some reason— that separated the castle from the remainder of the town. The gates weren't locked, although it took the combined effort of Sam and Castiel to push one side open enough for them to get through. The difficult part of getting into the castle wasn't the gate, however, but getting in the door.

This was only a problem because the guard posted by the door wouldn't let them get a word in.

He was sitting directly in the middle of the castle's looming dark green double doors, a folding chair propped up against them. An older man, more or less Gabriel's height, brown hair mixed with grey on both head and beard. He looked more like a trucker than a guard, but the hunters had yet to see anyone around this place that actually looked dressed for their occupation. A few layers of shirts with an old hunting vest atop it, worn jeans and a scuffed cap. He crossed his arms, giving the group a deadpan stare as they came up from the gates.

"What the hell do you all think you're doing?"

Sam went first. Sam was good at talking to people. Especially angry people.

"We uh, we're here to see Chuck."

The man's face didn't change. "Oh, I thought you were here to sell cookies."

Castiel blinked. "Should we have brought cookies?"

Dean almost laughed. But laughing would hurt in his current condition, so he didn't. "Sarcasm, Cas."

"Oh."

"Well, see…" Sam continued, running a hand through his hair. A nervous habit both brothers seemed to share. "We were kinda told to come here. Cuz apparently he had some visions and told some people to bring us here, to Purgatory, and we're kind of anxious to get home."

"The guys to stop Lucifer and Crowley?"

Sam nodded. "Exactly."

"Thought there was only supposed to be two of you."

"Oh, well, we kinda picked up some others along the way."

"How do I know you're not all demons?" The man looked the younger hunter down, pulling a small silver flask from his vest pocket.

Castiel frowned, turning to Dean. "Why does everyone keep assuming that?"

Sam started to reply, something rather intelligent about demons and their nocturnal habits— which technically wasn't true, considering Meg and Ruby had ambushed them mid- day— when the guard shook the contents of the flask onto him. Sam blinked in surprise; getting splashed right in the face by what he thought was water.

He sputtered, licking water from his lips as he stared at the guard, silently wondering if there were any sane people in Purgatory. But then his training kicked in.

"Holy Water. Right. Good call." He wiped his face.

The man only moved past him, splashing the rest of them one by one. When he was finished, his flask was empty, angel and human alike were wet, and no one was a demon. Although Gabriel let out a yell when he was splashed, and the guard had a knife to his throat before the archangel could grin and say "Just kidding!"

He got an extra splash of Holy Water to the face for that stunt.

Still, he didn't seem convinced enough to let them in. Dean was losing his patience. He had a headache the size of Kansas, and every so often his head would sway. Standing here arguing with some old guy was not helping matters. He stormed past his brother.

"Look, you know we're not demons, and who else would know about this bullshit mission? Just let us in! We need to talk to Chuck about getting out of this mad house, and there's a very good chance I could pass out again first. Besides, I should tell him that we already dealt with Lucifer!"

The man stared. "You killed Lucifer?"

Dean nodded before he thought better of it, pressing a hand to his temple. He was getting tired of being asked that. He caught sight of the charm in the corner of his eye, holding it up for the guard to see. He figured if anyone would be alright to see it, it'd be one of Chuck's guards.

The guard looked at the charm, surprise finally replacing the bored expression. He grabbed Dean by the arm, pulling him closer to inspect the charm.

"Bobby, are you picking on solicitors again? You know what Chuck said about that!" a female voice piped up.

The window beside the doors opened, and a girl popped her head out, studying them all. She rested her chin on a hand, her light brown hair falling over her shoulders and out the window.

The guard, Bobby, sighed in a long- suffering manner. "They ain't selling nothing, Becky, they wanna see Chuck."

"Oh." She leaned further out the window, pulling at the ledge to keep herself hanging. "Why?"

"I guess these are the guys that Chuck sent for to deal with our little civil war problem."

Her eyes widened, staring at them. Sam in particular. "What? Oh my god, why didn't you say so! Hurry up and let them in!"

She ducked out of the window, only to appear a moment later, pushing one of the doors open. The group stared in confusion as she bounced excitedly from one foot to the other. She all but reached out to grab at them, but Bobby held her back, stretching an arm out.

"Cool it, Becky. You'll scare them off."

"Oh, c'mon!" she huffed, glaring harmlessly at him. "I couldn't scare these guys off. They're used to much worse than me."

"They've never met you."

"She's right," Gabriel spoke up, crossing his arms with a smug grin. "This is nothing. We've been dealing with demons since we got here. Hordes of them. Real nasty ones."

Becky blinked. "Um… who are you?"

Sam snorted as the archangel's face fell.

"He's a friend of ours," the younger Winchester smiled. "Castiel too."

The angel took a step closer to Dean, who only sighed because this was taking too long.

"Any way we can go over Q&A inside? I'd like to be sitting soon, before I fall down or something."

"Oh! Right, right! S- Sorry!" Becky turned an embarrassed shade of pink, motioning them inside.

They followed her in to the entry hall. The building's outside theme of greens was matched inside. The floors were marble, all manner of greens swirling around with white. Stone pillars went from floor to ceiling, jade in color. The walls were decorated with tapestries in rich colors. The hall led to a grand staircase in the same jade as the pillars. Becky led them to the base of the stairs.

"You should rest before seeing Chuck. Have something to eat, a change of clothes, get that injury looked at," she pointed to Dean's head with a bit of a wince. "I'll make sure Chuck knows you're here, and he'll see you first thing tomorrow. Bobby can show you to your rooms. If you need anything, just let one of us know, okay?"

She offered them a bright smile, and then hurried up the steps with the energy only an excitable young woman can muster.

Bobby looked less than thrilled. "Alright, let's go."

He led them down a different hall, their boots echoing off the marble floors. At the end of the hall, a new one started, this one lined with doors. He pointed to the first one, casting a look at Gabriel.

"You can have that one. Try not to be too loud."

The archangel smirked, bounding over to the door. "I'll try my best."

"I'll bet," he rolled his eyes. He gave Sam the next room, Dean the one after that, and Castiel the last. With his job done, he turned on a booted heel and left, returning to his post outside.

It didn't take Gabriel long to get bored in the room by himself. Usually he could entertain himself with his powers, but with Purgatory depleting his Grace, he couldn't even do that. He explored the room, finding clothes in the dresser that were, oddly enough, exactly his size. Like someone knew he was coming. He shrugged, deciding to waste time with a shower.

But half an hour later, he was out, dried and dressed, flopped on the bed and bored once again. So it was only natural that he decided to make a call to bother someone he took great joy in pestering.

Sam considered the clothing longer than Gabriel had. Years in the hunting business had made him suspicious of things like that. He wasn't exactly a normal- sized guy, there shouldn't be clothes in his exact size waiting for him in a room he was randomly assigned.

Or had it been random? He sat on the bed, pondering it. The man he'd met with near the club had told him that Chuck had visions. If he knew they were coming, he'd probably seen it in such a vision. So he supposed it only made sense that he'd know what to put in their rooms.

He felt a bit better about that. Enough to relax and have a nap.

Dean wasted no time in having a nice long shower, relaxing in water hot enough to burn just a bit. It soothed all the bruises he'd picked up from the fight, and he refused to give it up until his fingers began to prune. He felt so much better after that, and a quick inspection of his head in the bathroom mirror revealed no more damage than the purple bruises and cuts that weren't even worth bandaging. He could deal with that.

The clothes in the dresser were his size, but they weren't his style at all. Pressed dress shirts and slacks. He almost didn't bother with them, but his other clothes were in need of a wash, and he figured it would probably be rude to show up to dinner in them. This looked like a pretty fancy place, after all.

Still, he wrinkled his nose as he slid the shirt on. He only dressed up when he impersonated FBI agents.

Castiel, left to his own devices, didn't know what to do. He hadn't gotten a chance to ask Dean before the elder Hunter had disappeared into his own room. He guessed that Dean was busy now. Castiel didn't want to bother him, so he decided to look around the room.

Becky had said something about changing clothes. He could do that. Humans kept clothes in dressers, he knew that much. He'd never changed his clothes before, he hadn't needed to. With his Grace, he could clean his vessel's clothing with a mere thought. But humans did it at least once a day, so it couldn't be too hard.

After fifteen minutes of fumbling with buttons and belts, he was ready to retract his statement.

Sam's suspicions were confirmed when they were collected for dinner. All four came out of their respective rooms in fresh clothing— although in Castiel's case, his shirt was buttoned wrong, and his tie was a mess, so Dean had to help him with that before they left. They were led to the dining room, where Becky and Bobby were already sitting. There were four other places set, two on each side of the long dining room table. Sam sat in the first seat, after prompting by Becky, and was quickly joined by Gabriel on his other side with a grin from the archangel. Dean took the seat across from Sam, and Castiel beside him, facing his brother.

Dinner was served shortly after they took their seats. Each of their meals was different, suited to their tastes. This further proved Sam's theory that Chuck knew exactly who he had staying in his castle. There was baked chicken and vegetables for Sam, bacon cheeseburgers and fries for both Dean and Castiel, and a stack of syrup coated pancakes for Gabriel.

Becky spoke happily as they all ate, going on about how excited she was that they were finally here, and how Chuck would be so glad to see them tomorrow. She smiled extra wide every time she mentioned Chuck's name, Dean noticed. It was almost cute.

Bobby seemed a little more relaxed at this point. He wasn't as perky as Becky, although she probably had the monopoly of perky, especially in Purgatory, but he wasn't snapping at them, or tossing Holy Water in their faces. That was an improvement, at least.

"You mentioned earlier that you killed Lucifer," he looked up at Dean over his steak and potatoes.

"Yeah," the Hunter nodded, "Took him out when I got here. Jo told me. I saw the guy."

"You're sure it was him?"

Dean shrugged. "Tall, short blonde hair?"

Becky's eyes widened in awe. "That's him alright. Chuck didn't mention that…"

"Maybe he doesn't know about it yet?"

"It's possible… but you said that was when you got here, and that was what, four days ago? He should've seen it by now. Maybe he just didn't say anything." She frowned. "It's not like him to leave out something that huge though…"

Sam stabbed a piece of chicken a little more viciously than intended. Gabriel arched a brow.

"Well, at any rate, I figure if the problem was these two guys fighting each other like Jo said, then the problem should be solved, right? So we can just go home tomorrow."

Becky nodded. "I'm sure he'd be happy to, since you helped so much."

This seemed good enough for them all. The rest of the meal was filled with friendly conversation, and when dessert came around, Dean insisted that Castiel try the wonder that was pie. Gabriel went back for seconds on cheesecake.

Dean had stayed in a lot of motels during his time as a hunter. But he had to admit, Chuck's place had the nicest bed he'd ever slept on. Crisp, clean sheets. Perfectly fluffed pillows. Mattress just firm enough to not be too soft, but not enough to be uncomfortably hard.

It was perfection.

He sprawled out; full on the best meal he'd had since he could remember. If he wasn't in such a hurry to go home, he would be sorely tempted to just stay here and enjoy this. Letting out a pleased groan, he burrowed into the comforters, feeling for all the world like he was wrapped up clouds. He vaguely wondered if Cas and Gabriel slept on clouds. The thought made him grin.

It didn't take him long at all to settle in for the night. He'd slept on the floor the previous night, a crappy pull- out bed the night before, and the woods before that. None of those had been particularly good for a well- rested night. He fully intended to make this one count. He let that drowsy, half- asleep feeling wash over him, relaxing.

The sound of the door opening jolted him back immediately, instinct rousing him in seconds. He kept his eyes closed, his hand slowly reaching for the knife he kept under the pillow of every bed he slept in. A figure stepped quietly into the room, shutting the door behind them. Dean peeked an eye open the barest bit, enough to see the figure in the darkness of the room as it crept closer toward the bed. It reached out a hand, and Dean shot up, grabbing the intruder by the shirt and slamming them against the bed, knife held at the ready.

Castiel made a shocked noise, blue eyes staring up at Dean in wide surprise. Dean let out a sharp breath.

"Jesus, Cas, are you trying to give me a damned heart attack?" he hissed, letting the other up. He shoved the knife back under the pillow. "What the hell are you doing here?"

The angel remained where he was, even without Dean's weight holding him in place. "I… I apologize. It wasn't my intent to scare you. I just…"

He looked embarrassed. Dean frowned, and then remembered Cas's sleeping habits.

"Still can't sleep alone?"

Castiel shook his head, looking away.

Dean was tired. He wasn't going to argue about where Castiel wanted to sleep. The bed was plenty big enough, larger than Balthazar's wreck of a sofa bed. And he imagined it couldn't be easy for the angel to adjust to doing human things. It was probably freaking him out a little. It was the least he could do after Castiel had saved his ass that afternoon, anyway.

He scooted over, making room for the other. Castiel sat up, tilting his head.

"You don't mind?"

"Nah. But one thing though."

"Hmm?" Castiel slid under the covers, careful to stay on his designated side.

"Why me? Why not Gabe? I'm sure he'd be better at explaining all this human stuff to you."

Castiel smiled his little half- smile. "Gabriel kicks in his sleep."

Dean rolled his eyes with a grin, settling back in for the night. "Figures."


	10. Advanced Wind

Chapter Ten: Wild Arms 3 Intro ((Wild Arms 3 OST))

Castiel dreamed for the first time that night.

He didn't know what he expected dreams to be like, having never experienced the sensation. But he didn't know they'd be so vivid. Or that he wouldn't be able to know he was dreaming.

It started out normal enough. Chuck was going to send them home. He'd never seen Chuck, so in his dream, he was represented by a floppy rag doll, which Becky held up on a silver platter. The doll didn't have a mouth, but Chuck was speaking anyway, a dark voice that sounded throughout the room all at once, ducking even into the corners of the ceiling. Castiel wasn't too nervous about that, he'd seen more intimidating things in Heaven. But it was still fairly impressive by human standards.

Sam went first. He stepped up; waiting in front of the doll for whatever Chuck needed to do to send them back. Castiel assumed it would involve another spell. Instead the doll flopped to the side, sprawled over the tray. Then Sam let out a horrifying yell, clutching his head and doubling over. He coughed, and blood splattered on the floor in front of him.

Dean and Gabriel were at his side in a moment. Castiel tried to follow but found himself rooted to the marble floor. All he could do was look on, eyes wide in terror as the younger hunter collapsed on the ground. His brother shook him by the shoulders, not getting any response. He grabbed Sam by the jacket, trying to pull him up. Sam was lifeless and limp.

Gabriel let out a growl of rage, up in an instant to grab the doll. He was quickly knocked back, slamming into the wall across the room. His eyes snapped open wide, mouth opening with no sound. Then Castiel noticed he'd been thrown back into the decorative swords along the wall. One had stabbed him straight through. After a moment he slumped forward, suspended in the air by the sword and just as lifeless as Sam. Blood dripped slowly from his chest, pooling on the floor.

Castiel still couldn't move. He was screaming, even if he couldn't make out what he was saying. But no one was paying him any mind, as if he weren't there at all. Dean had the knife in his hand, the same one he'd had under his pillow. He ran forward, panicked and furious, wanting nothing more to slice the doll to pieces, and probably Becky too. She hadn't moved an inch, staring ahead impassively.

But Dean didn't get the chance to attack. And it wasn't the doll that stopped him.

It was Sam.

Technically, it was Sam. He was behind Dean, even though Castiel never saw him get up. His eyes were completely black, and he grinned maliciously as he grabbed his brother by the back of the neck. Dean let out a surprised yelp as he was yanked back. He had a moment to register that it was his brother, and yet not, before Sam's hands were on his chin, twisting.

A sickening snap echoed through the room. Dean dropped like a broken toy, dead before he hit the floor. Sam followed quickly, whatever possessed him leaving the corpse behind. The room was quiet, not a sound remained. Castiel couldn't even make a noise. His mouth was open, but nothing came out. He was crying, tears streaming down his face, but he still couldn't move.

Something grabbed him by the arm. Blue eyes turned wildly to see Dean at his side, grip tightening over the angel's coat. Black eyes, just like Sam. Finally Castiel let out a noise, a sharp gasp. Not- Dean leaned in closer, breath ghosting over Castiel's ear as he whispered.

"Did you really think tainted things like you could go home? You're all right where you belong."

The demon inside Dean then twisted his grip on the angel's arm, snapping it clean in two. Castiel screamed.

Dean was deep asleep before he registered the first flare of pain in his side. He was a hunter, being a light sleeper was an understatement. But it was a very comfortable bed, so it dulled the senses a bit.

But the second time, he sat up, looking for the cause. Castiel had squirmed closer at some point in the night, and was thrashing in his sleep. Dean had enough nightmares to know the angel was deep in one, and the terrified noise the other let out nearly broke his heart.

He reached over to wake the other, but was quickly kicked in the side once again as Castiel squirmed. He winced, a grunt of pain catching in his throat as he grabbed the angel by the arm, shaking him a bit.

"Cas, wake up, it's just a dream…"

Castiel whimpered, trying to pull away. Dean tightened his grip a bit, careful not to hurt the other.

"Cas, c'mon, wake up!"

Blue eyes shot open with a gasp, bolting upright in the bed. He was shaking, struggling to breathe correctly, and staring wide- eyed in front of him in a cold sweat.

"Jesus, Cas…" Dean breathed out, watching the other in worry.

Castiel flinched away from him for a moment, curling in on himself. Dean let him go.

"It was just a dream… It's okay now, you're okay."

The angel blinked a few times, looking around the room. Finally his gaze settled on the other, slowly picking apart dream from reality. There were no demons. No one was dead. They were all safe. Sam and Gabriel were asleep in their rooms. Dean wasn't dead. He wasn't a demon.

He wasn't going to kill him.

Relief poured through him at once. The panic faded, and it left him exhausted. He curled closer to Dean before he knew what he was doing, burying his face against the other's shoulder. It was probably awkward, if the way the hunter tensed meant anything, but he was tired, and it made him feel better. Comforted. He slowly relaxed.

It WAS awkward. Dean wasn't one for hugging. It usually involved life- or- death situations or months of not seeing someone. And that only counted for family members. But Castiel's first dream had been what he supposed was a pretty awful nightmare. He figured the least he could do was give the angel a damned hug. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders.

"I got you, Cas, don't worry."

Sam was naturally an early riser. He had a sort of natural alarm that woke him just after sunrise each morning. So it wasn't any surprise to him that everything was quiet when he woke. He was probably the only one awake at this hour. He knew Dean would sleep for at least another hour or two if left to his own devices.

He cleaned up and dressed, noting that the clothes he'd come to the castle with had been cleaned and folded neatly atop the dresser while they were at dinner last night. He changed into them, wondering if maybe one of the angels would be awake. He didn't know when Chuck would want to see them, but he figured they at least had to wait until everyone was awake.

The younger Winchester found Gabriel in the hall when he stepped out of his room. The archangel was on the floor, back propped up against the wall. He was back in his own clothes as well, flipping idly through a magazine. He looked up at Sam with a grin as he shut the door behind him.

"Hey, you're awake!"

"Yeah… Have you been out here long?"

"Nah, just like, an hour." He shrugged. "I don't need to sleep much, and I got bored."

"Oh." Sam looked down the hall, toward Dean and Castiel's rooms. "It's just us so far, I guess?"

Gabriel nodded. "I really hope they're not gonna sleep all day. I kinda wanna get Cassy home soon, before he gets into trouble."

"You're still not going with him?"

The archangel shook his head. Sam shrugged; he wasn't going to fight the other on this. That was Castiel's job.

"Well, we can either wait here until they decide to get up on their own, or we can go wake them and get started."

Gabriel grinned. Sam suddenly regretted his suggestion. But it was too late; the shorter man was already on his feet and heading toward the last room on the hall. Gabriel went inside without as much as a knock to announce his presence. Sam hoped Castiel wouldn't get too rude of an awakening as he knocked on his brother's door.

There was no answer, so he opened the door. Dean was probably in the shower; Sam hadn't had to come wake him after all.

He stopped in the doorway when he saw what actually was the case, mouth hanging open in shock. It was all he had time to do before Gabriel pushed past him.

"So, I guess Cassy's already wandering around somewhere, cuz his room's empty—"

Sam grabbed the smaller man by his jacket, halting his entry into the room. "Found him."

They both stared. Dean was still dead to the world, curled up in the middle of the bed with an armful of angel. Castiel was sleeping peacefully as well, face pressed against the hunter's neck.

"Holy shit," Gabriel took a step back, bumping into Sam.

He groaned. He really didn't need to see his brother cuddling an angel, he REALLY didn't. Especially not this early in the morning. He still had a grip on Gabriel's jacket, and he wasted no more time in yanking the archangel out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Was that just—" Gabriel started, but Sam cut him off with a stern look and a shake of his head.

"Not talking about it. Ever."

After a moment, a grin split the archangel's features. "Still think they haven't done it yet?"

"GABRIEL!"

Their brothers were at breakfast by the time Dean and Castiel came down. This was all for the better, Dean thought with a sigh. The last thing they needed was Sam and Gabriel seeing the two of them come out of the same room that morning. It was awkward enough waking up for the second time with an angel hugging up to him. He didn't need the other two teasing him about it, or worse yet, wanting to talk seriously about it.

Castiel had been quiet. He refused to speak about the dream, even when Dean suggested that it might make him feel better. Really, Dean just wanted to know what would freak an angel out so bad.

Sam was quieter than usual as well. He also refused to look at either of them, which was weird. And Gabriel kept grinning at them. He would have thought that was weird as well, if it weren't Gabriel.

Becky just kept staring at them all. She was smiling, almost giddily. It was kind of creeping Dean out. Bobby ignored them all, as if his oatmeal was suddenly fascinating. Occasionally, Becky would let a happy noise slip out, and he'd just roll his eyes, as if personally embarrassed by whatever she could be thinking.

But once breakfast was done, the four were led up the grand stairs, and Dean didn't really care about how weird everyone was acting. They were going to see Chuck, true to Becky's word. Soon they would be back home, and things would be normal again. Well, as normal as things got for hunters anyway. It'd be a shame, though, not being able to see Castiel and Gabriel anymore. Well, mostly Castiel. But the angel wanted to get back to Heaven, and Dean couldn't deny him that just because they were starting to get comfortable with each other.

Becky and Bobby took them up the huge staircase, to another set of double doors. They were pushed open to reveal a room the size of a ballroom, decorated in various shades of green, highlighted by complimentary colors. The entire room looked like a lesson in class, and Dean felt vaguely under dressed.

The room was empty. This didn't seem to bother the two residents. Once they were all inside, they shut the doors again. The small party stood in the room's center, waiting for something to happen.

There was a bright flash of light, and smoke curled out from the wall farthest from the doors. The four stared curiously, while Becky and Bobby just kept their places by the doors. The smoke filled the room, cascading to the floor and curling wispily around their legs. Another flash of light blinded them for a moment, and when they could open their eyes, there was a large green dragon taking up the space of the wall.

It stared down at them, its tail curling idly at its side, much like a cat's would. Its sharp claws tapped on the marble floor as it studied each of them in turn, head tilting.

"Welcome."

The dragon's mouth didn't move when it spoke. Instead its voice seemed to be all around the room at once. Castiel tensed at this, thinking back to his dream. At least it wasn't a doll on a tray.

Gabriel looked the dragon over, taking a step forward. "So, you're Chuck then? That's not a normal name for a dragon…"

"Silence," the dragon hissed, showing off a glint of sharp teeth. "I didn't send for you."

"He's with us," Sam spoke up. He kept his eyes on the dragon, tense, but determined not to show it. "They both are."

The dragon, Chuck, curled its lips up in what might have been a smile. "I know."

"Look, we know why you brought us here." Dean stepped in front of his brother. "We already took care of Lucifer, so your problem's solved. So if you'd just go ahead and send us back, we'd appreciate it."

Chuck arched a scaly brow. "You're so sure?"

Dean nodded, holding up his arm to show off the charm. "He got caught in some magic when we were sent here. He's dead."

"That doesn't mean the problem is solved."

The older Hunter frowned, not getting it. "Uh, why not?"

"You might have dealt with one of them, but there's still Crowley. They were fighting each other before. But without Lucifer to distract him, he'll be unchallenged in his plan to take over all of Purgatory."

Gabriel frowned. He didn't like where this was going one bit.

"I'll make you a deal," Chuck continued, tail swirling. "Take care of Crowley for us, and I'll reward each of you. Not only will I send you wherever you want to go, but you can each have a wish from me."

Dean stared at the dragon skeptically. "You can do that?"

"Of course."

"And all we gotta do is take care of one demon?"

The dragon nodded. "You killed Lucifer already, how hard can one more be?"

"If it's so easy, why don't you do it?" Sam frowned.

"Crowley doesn't leave his home. He has barriers there that keep me from crossing it. But humans are a different story entirely. You can get in and deal with him."

"No deal!" Gabriel snapped, glaring at Chuck. Beside him, the other three stared. "You're gonna get us all killed! Crowley's a lot more powerful than that. Don't lie to them!"

The dragon chuckled. "He's no more powerful than the Devil himself, and he's already been dealt with."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure we can do this? You're not just sending us off to our deaths so you don't have to deal with us anymore?"

"I wouldn't give you a task I knew you couldn't complete." Chuck replied.

"You have visions, correct?" Castiel spoke up now.

The dragon regarded him curiously. "That's true."

"Have you seen us accomplishing this task?"

His lips curled up into another possible smile. "Aren't you the clever one? I have seen you accepting this challenge. And I have seen you returning to me after Crowley is no longer a threat."

This answer seemed good enough for Dean. "Alright then, we'll do it."

"The hell we will!" the archangel growled, angrier than he'd ever seen him.

"No one said you had to come with us, Gabriel," Dean crossed his arms.

Gabriel shook his head, furious, before storming away. He shoved the doors open and slid through. Neither Bobby nor Becky made a move to stop him.

"Leave whenever you like," Chuck said, as if he hadn't been interrupted by a raging archangel. "But you're trapped in Purgatory until you finish this task."

Before any more arguments could be made, the light flashed again, and the dragon disappeared in the smoke. Bobby pushed the doors open wide, and Becky led the remaining party out.

Dean decided they would leave the next day. They needed to prepare, like they did for any hunt they undertook. They needed weapons. And some decent food and a well- rested night could only help in the long run. Bobby promised to handle the weapons, and Dean gave him a list of what they'd need. He assured them it would be ready by tomorrow morning. Once that was taken care of, he started planning. He knew he and Sam could handle themselves. He was pretty sure he'd have to teach Castiel how to use a gun.

He was not looking forward to that.

Sam knew Dean would handle the preparation for the job. Instead, he went to go see if Gabriel was alright. They could really use the archangel's help dealing with Crowley. And Sam actually found himself enjoying the other's company. It felt less like being the third wheel with Dean and Castiel.

He raised a hand to knock on the other's door when he heard voices. At first he assumed it was just Gabriel mumbling to himself. But then someone answered. Curious, he pressed an ear to the door.

"…gonna kill you!" Gabriel blurted out, muffled against the wood separating them.

"All part of the plan, angel," the voice was calm, smooth and very British.

"I can't do this, okay?"

"Just go with them. It'll be easier like this."

Gabriel sighed. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"

A chuckle. "Love you too."

There was a sound of something snapping shut. Probably a phone. It was quiet after that. Sam barely had time to pull away from the door before it was yanked open. He gaped in surprise as the archangel frowned up at him.

"I changed my mind. I'm coming with you."


	11. Hold Me

Chapter Eleven: Hold Me ((Plumb))

"Okay, come at me."

Castiel frowned. "I don't want to."

"Cas, that's kinda the whole point of the training. You've gotta get used to attacking things that move."

Dean shifted his weight from one leg to the other, waiting for the angel to charge him. The pair had been in the castle's courtyard for the better part of the evening, following dinner. If they were going to take on Crowley, Castiel needed to know how to fight without using his angel powers. The first thing he'd tried to teach the dark- haired man had been how to use a gun. The first thing Castiel had done was take it apart. That plan was quickly dropped. Dean didn't really think they had enough time to go over that one. But he wasn't letting the other leave until he'd gotten some basic training down, at least.

Chuck had been of some help, letting them use the courtyard so now one would interrupt them. He had a feeling Gabriel would be running a commentary by now, otherwise. He also left them a few weird looking training dummies. They looked a bit like scarecrows, and even had little frowny faces drawn on the heads.

The training started out with Dean showing Castiel a few basic punches and kicks on the dummies, and then having the angel repeat them. It didn't work so well in the beginning, until Dean made the connection between the fighting and Gabriel teaching him how to dance. When Castiel thought about it like that, it was easier to take the information in.

Once Dean was satisfied with the progress, he'd decided they needed to move on to something that could actually fight back. Castiel refused.

"I don't want to fight with you, Dean." The angel crossed his arms, staring him down.

"We're not really fighting, Cas. It's just the same things I taught you. I won't hurt you, I promise." Dean held up his hands with a smile.

Castiel tipped his head to the side. "What makes you so sure that's what I'm worried about?"

Dean grinned. "You're worried about going too hard on ME? Is that it?"

He nodded. Even without his Grace, he was still an angel. Angels were naturally stronger than humans. He might not have taken down a full- powered demon like this, but humans were so… breakable. Also, he'd seen Dean hurt quite a few times since they'd been together, and he wasn't happy with it. It left a bad feeling in his chest that he couldn't place, a human emotion he wasn't used to. He didn't want anything to happen to the hunter, least of all something he did.

"You've got nothin' to worry about, Cas. I can take care of myself."

The angel huffed out a breath. "Yes, because you've been doing a wonderful job so far."

Dean arched a brow. "I'm still here, aren't I? C'mon. I just wanna see that you'll be able to handle yourself later on. I don't want anything happening to you."

Castiel paused, staring at him. So that feeling he had, the one that screamed at him to make sure the hunter was alright, that nothing happened to hurt him— Dean felt it too.

Finally, he licked his lips. "Alright."

The human looked pleased, staring at him. "Okay cool. Just come at me. Remember what I taught you, and pretend I'm just some demon."

Castiel nodded. He studied Dean for a moment in creepy angel- mode, as the hunter had started to refer to it as, and then reached out quickly to grab his collar. Dean wasn't going to make it easy, however. He grabbed the angel's wrist before fingers could close around the fabric, twisting the other's arm behind his back with just enough force to hold him there. Not enough to hurt.

He smirked, tipping his head over the other's shoulder to stare into his eyes. "Still think it's gonna be so easy to hurt me?"

Castiel looked shocked. He knew he shouldn't have been; Dean was a hunter, and he knew how to fight. But the move had surprised him. And the hunter being so close surprised him even more. His stomach flipped, another curious sensation he'd yet to be able to identify.

Instead, he curled his ankle around the other's leg, pulling and knocking him off balance. Dean fell back with a surprised noise, his grip on Castiel pulling him along for the ride. The angel landed on top of the human, Dean pinned to the soft grass of the courtyard.

"Hey, that was pretty good."

Castiel squirmed a bit, shifting position until he had a knee on either side of the hunter's hips, staring down at him. Dean's grin at the other's fighting skills soon wore off, staring back up.

He gnawed at his lip. "Um, Cas?"

"Yes?"

"Probably should get up. It's kinda awkward."

"Oh." The angel moved quickly, sliding off of him and sitting on the grass beside him instead. His stomach flipped again. He was going to have to ask Gabriel what this feeling meant. He wanted to ask Dean, but he'd learned that the hunter didn't deal well with feelings. So his brother would probably be the best choice in this case.

After a moment, Dean's grin was back in place. "So. Ready for another round?"

Dean sighed, staring at the angel in front of him. The angel that was wearing the most effective puppy eyes he'd ever seen outside of Sammy when he was five years old, and clutching a pillow as if it would protect him from whatever the night held in store.

Castiel tugged nervously at his bottom lip with teeth, awaiting the verdict.

The hunter rolled his eyes with the tiniest of grins, scooting over to make room for him on the plush bed. The angel brightened, hugging the pillow he really didn't need as he slid under the blankets on the free side. Dean knew they needed as good a night's sleep as could be allowed, if they hoped to stand any kind of chance against Crowley. And he wasn't going to admit it, but the angel had scared the crap out of him the previous night, all panicked and making those scared noises.

So at least if Castiel was sleeping with him, he'd be able to watch out for any more nightmares. That's what he told himself. There was no way he was admitting to the fact that he was getting used to having the angel sleep beside him.

Nope. Not at all. Rivers in Egypt and all that.

Bobby, true to his word, had everything ready by the time everyone was awake and ready to go. Breakfast was a quick affair this morning, no one really speaking much. Gabriel seemed to still be in a bit of a mood, although he'd agreed to come along. Dean suspected Sam had a hand in convincing him. Castiel was quiet, even if he hadn't dreamed that night. It was a reflective sort of quiet, not a haunted sort, so Dean wasn't worried. Sam seemed normal enough, lost in his thoughts as he usually tended to get before a hunt. He would trade a few words with Becky when she spoke to him, but kept to himself for the most part. Dean went over everything with Bobby, what they knew about Crowley, what had been packed for them, where they would find the demon's home.

The only thing left to do was to start out.

They would drive to Crowley's place. The city after the castle was roadworthy, and the major highway ran most of the distance to the demon's home. Dean was relieved. Another week of walking and he wouldn't have been held responsible for his actions on other members of his party. Namely Gabriel.

This also helped, as now they wouldn't have to carry the duffel bags that Bobby had packed for them. All the weapons that hunters used on their cases, especially the things that worked best on demons. Holy Water most of all. It came in canteens, a few for each of them. Boxes of salt, in addition to the salt- packed rounds that came with the shotguns. The only thing they didn't have enough for each of them was special demon- killing knife they had, which was currently in Dean's possession. Mostly because he seemed to be the only one out of the group that had trouble with Latin.

When Bobby led them out to the castle gates, where their car was waiting, he could have hugged the guy. If he did that sort of thing, of course. Sitting just inside the iron gates, waiting for them, was a black '67 Chevy Impala, an exact copy of his own car. He stared, mouth even gaping a bit, before turning to the old guard. Bobby just grinned, tossing a set of keys at him.

Sam rolled his eyes good- naturedly as Dean tossed his bag into the trunk, almost giddy as he circled to the driver's side. God, but he missed his baby.

The angels had no knowledge of what made this particular car so special for the Hunters. Castiel noticed that it made Dean very happy, so that was good enough for him. Gabriel didn't really care, so long as it meant they didn't have to walk. Sam had already made his way to the passenger side, so the archangel hopped into the back, behind the driver's side, where Dean was marveling that even his tape collection was in place. Castiel just smiled, taking the last spot.

Bobby opened the gates, waving them off. It was easy enough to get them onto the highway; Dean had been navigating highways since he had learned to drive. He practically had at least a fourth of them memorized by now. They might have been in Purgatory, but at least it had a manageable transport system, when it wasn't forestry and 50s era slums.

It was comfortable. The windows were rolled down, letting the highway- blown air through the car. It was just another hunt for the Winchesters. The only difference was the pair of angels they'd picked up, but that was a petty semantic. Dean felt as much at home as he'd come since they were transported here. A look in his brother's direction told him the same was true with Sam. He leaned against the door, head propped up on an arm and staring out the window. An almost- grin was on his face.

He glanced in the rearview mirror at the angels. Gabriel looked bored, staring at the scenery. Dean figured it was only a matter of time before the annoying archangel started kicking the back of his seat. He was definitely not looking forward to that. Castiel seemed to be trying to look everywhere at once. If he wasn't staring out the window, he was toying with something inside the car. At the moment, he as rolling the window up and down, then settling for a halfway point. Dean supposed he'd never ridden in a car before. The thought made him grin. At least his first car ride was in the best car possible.

Dean grabbed a tape at random, pushing it into the player. Sam groaned, starting to complain. His brother quickly invoked the rule of Driver Picks the Music, Shotgun Shuts His Cakehole. The problem with this rule, as he quickly found out, was that it didn't account for backseat passengers. That was when Gabriel decided kicking his seat was a good idea. Castiel only looked curious.

By that point, they'd been driving for a few hours, and Sam suggested they stop somewhere to eat and stretch. Dean almost refused, but he was about ten minutes from throttling the archangel in the backseat— who had decided that show tunes would be helpful to the other passengers, especially in the loudest voice he could muster— so he pulled off at the next exit.

Gabriel was out the door as soon as the car was parked in the first diner they came to. It was probably the only thing that kept Dean from yanking him out of the backseat. Sam got out, stretching. He was used to being cramped up in a car all day, but it didn't make it any less gratifying to get out of one. Castiel slid out with an apology for Dean on his brother's behalf, which Dean shrugged off.

Lunch was simple and fast. Diner fare, which the brothers were used to. Castiel had taken a liking to cheeseburgers and French fries, not to mention free refills on Pepsi. Gabriel decided to try the weirdest- sounding thing on the menu, which in this case, was aptly named 'Liver Disaster'. Sam looked like he was going to be sick over his chicken salad.

When they were done, Sam and Gabriel went out to the car. Dean and Castiel went to pay the check, the former insisting that Gabriel had better keep his Liver Disaster right where he put it, because if he threw up in the Impala, Dean was ditching him. At 90MPH preferably.

Moments later, when the pair exited the diner, they were greeted with the sight of their respective brothers trying to fight off a rather large group of werewolves. Well, Sam was trying, while Gabriel was rummaging through the trunk while Sam yelled at him.

Shit. Shitshitshitshit. Dean had been so preoccupied with what they'd need to fight demons, he'd forgotten there were other supernatural creatures filling up Purgatory.

Sam kicked one of the wolves, right in the face. It flew back with a yelp. Two more took its place.

"Gabe c'mon!"

"There's nothing here!" the archangel snapped back, tossing aside a few boxes of salt. Something shoved him away from the trunk, and he landed with a grunt on the pavement. He looked up just in time to see Dean grab a shotgun from the back, slamming the butt of it into a snarling face.

"Get in the car!" the hunter barked, the gun colliding with another werewolf's side.

Gabriel scrambled inside the backseat.

They were in trouble. Sam knew the salt rounds weren't going to do any good against werewolves, and they didn't have any silver, based on Gabriel's search of the contents of the trunk. He wasn't sure if the demon- killing knife would work on them. They'd never tried it before. But still, even if it did, there were at least twenty of them against one knife.

There were at least five of them circling him now. Another group was attacking his brother, and still more were clawing at the car, trying to get at Gabriel. And Castiel—

Dean had left Castiel at the doorway when he ran to help Gabriel. The angel took off running, moving to do the same for Dean. He slammed bodily into a werewolf that was seconds away from taking a bite out of Dean's shoulder. Both of them went sailing through the air and crashing to the pavement, Castiel landing on top of the wolf with a noise.

The wolf quickly threw him off, and was on top of him in an instant. Dean barely had time to shout the angel's name before claws ripped into his arm. Castiel screamed in pain. That was all it took for Gabriel to act.

Half a second later, the entire wolf pack was gone.

To be more precise, it was them that had moved, not the wolves. They were no longer in front of the diner, but in a park a few miles away. It was the first thing Gabriel could think of. Sam froze, looking around in confusion. He half expected the wolves to come back in an instant.

Dean didn't have time to wonder what had happened. He dropped the shotgun in the grass, falling beside it at Castiel's side.

"Cas!"

The angel curled in on himself, gripping his arm to his side. He cringed, letting out a pained whimper as Dean carefully rolled him over to inspect the damage.

"Did it bite you? Please say it didn't bite you, dammit, Cas…"

Castiel shook his head, eyes shut tight. "Just… claws…"

Dean nodded shakily, pulling at the angel's trench coat. The sleeve was in tatters, and Castiel hissed as it was pushed over the cuts to slide off his arm to be left hanging on his other shoulder. He propped Castiel up against the Impala's tire, stretching his arm out. There were four slashes along the forearm, not deep enough to be life- threatening, but pretty bad. The puddle of blood against the grass was proof enough of that.

Sam was on the other side of them by then, a white box in his hand, which he handed wordlessly to Dean. A travel first aid kit. Dean shuffled through it quickly, ripping open a few packs of gauze to press against the cuts. Castiel let out another noise, but Dean held on.

"Sorry Cas, but we've gotta stop the bleeding, okay?"

The angel nodded, biting hard at his lip.

Gabriel crawled out of the backseat, hovering worriedly over them. "It's not too bad is it?"

"He'll be okay," Sam assured, looking up at the archangel. "Can you heal him?"

He blanched, looking honestly near tears as he shook his head. "I used it all up in moving us. It'll be at least a few hours before I get anything back, let alone enough to do that."

Castiel tensed, his breath quickening. Blue eyes darted around to each of them, and he whimpered.

"I feel… light…"

Dean held on to the angel's arm, keeping the gauze in place. "It's okay, Cas, just breathe."

He squirmed a bit, but nodded, closing his eyes.

"Eyes open, okay? Stay awake and take deep breaths."

"What's going on?" Gabriel knelt beside them. "I thought you said he'd be okay…"

"When the human body loses a lot of blood, it starts a sort of 'fight or flight' mechanism." Sam explained, moving to loosen Castiel's tie. "If we're not careful, he'll pass out."

Castiel kept his eyes open as instructed, staring at Dean. He felt out of breath, even if he was taking in mouthfuls of air at a time. It made him restless, as if he had to move somehow, and he nervously twisted as much as his current position would allow. Dean kept his hands pressed against the gauze on his arm, keeping him from moving too much, and also from losing more blood.

It became harder to hear, as if something was slowly covering his ears. There was a humming noise, and though Dean was talking to him, instructing him to keep breathing, it was muffled. This made him whine again.

"Dizzy…" he managed. "Hot… Feels like I can't hear well…"

Dean nodded. "Keep breathing, it'll go away in a minute."

Castiel kept breathing, deep breaths through his mouth, eyes open. Sam had grabbed a folded sheet of paper from the white box, fanning the angel to cool him down. Dean was wrapping stretchy plastic tape around the gauze on his arm, keeping his eyes on Castiel's.

True enough, his hearing started to clear after another minute. The thudding of his heart began to calm. "I think… it's getting better…"

"You're gonna be okay, Cas. I got you. You're an angel, you can't let some puppy with an anger problem get the best of you." He grinned a bit, but there was worry in his eyes.

Gabriel's hand was clenched into a fist in the other angel's trench coat. He looked from his brother to the Hunter caring for him. He was a fucking ARCHANGEL, and here he was useless.

Castiel's breathing calmed slowly, and his nervous squirming ceased. Dean checked the bandages while Sam started putting the unused supplies away. Gabriel stood abruptly and stormed off.

They set up camp in the park. A lot of the afternoon was spent looking after Castiel, and none of them were really up for the drive at this point. Sam built a fire, and they had the snacks Becky packed for him for dinner. Gabriel still hadn't come back by sunset, so Dean went to look for him.

He didn't have to look far. He found the archangel curled up against the far side of the Impala, legs drawn up to his chest with his chin resting on them. Wordlessly, he took a seat beside the other.

"What?" Gabriel glanced at him sullenly.

Dean just shrugged. "Just wondering what's up."

"I'm fucking useless around here." The archangel snapped. "I'm tired of having to play the 'Which Bad Thing is Worth Using My Powers On' game."

The hunter hummed thoughtfully. "Then why do you wanna stay so bad?"

Gabriel stared at him, expression unusually serious. "It's personal."

He nodded. He knew better than to push that particular issue. Instead, he went with a different tactic.

"There's no way we would've been able to deal with all those werewolves." he sat back against the side of the car, staring up into the sky. "Taking care of the cause, rather than the effect. It was the right thing to do."

"For all the good that did Cas." Gabriel snorted self- depreciatingly.

"He got out of it with only a few claw marks. A lot worse could have happened and you know it."

Gabriel was quiet for a moment. What he said next came out muffled, most of his face burying itself against his knees in the meantime. "You're gonna take care of him, right?"

"Of course."

Gabriel's shoulders slumped, and he let out a sigh. "I wanted him to go home before he got hurt. This is exactly why he shouldn't have come."

Dean arched a brow. "If he'd been here instead, wouldn't you have come to get him?"

"In a heartbeat." The archangel scowled. "There might be a lot of us angels flapping around, but Cassy and I… we're close. I gotta look out for him."

He nodded. "I don't see why you're surprised then. It works both ways." Dean had enough personal experience to know this much. As hard as he tried to keep his own brother from getting hurt, sometimes Sam had to come through and save his ass.

Gabriel stopped to think about this. Dean stood up, dusting himself off.

"Sam's got sandwiches if you're hungry. We're starting early tomorrow, so don't stay up too late."

The smaller man stared at him as he left, frowning in consideration. Damn humans.

Dean wandered back to the makeshift camp. Sam was reading something, a book Bobby had packed with the weapons. Castiel was lying a bit away from the fire, curled on his side with his head pillowed on his coat. He took a seat beside the angel.

"How you feeling?"

Castiel glanced up at him, blue eyes dark in the fire light. "Better. Sam gave me some medicine for the pain." He held up an empty wrapper. Advil from the first aid kit.

Dean leaned back on his arms. "That's good. We'll get back on the road tomorrow. The cuts weren't too bad; they should be healed up before we get there."

The angel nodded quietly. "How is Gabriel?"

"He's fine. Just sulking. I had a little talk with him. He'll be alright."

"Thank you."

The hunter shrugged awkwardly. "No worries. It's my fault you got hurt in the first place."

Castiel gave him a half- smile. "I suppose it was worth it in the end."

Dean grinned. "Don't go making it a habit."

"I could say the same to you."

They were quiet after that. Castiel yawned, the fire and the painkillers making him sleepy. He moved closer, his head resting against Dean's leg. The hunter said nothing, just relaxed, watching the fire. A few minutes later, the angel was asleep.

Gabriel came out of hiding a little while later; making short work of the sandwich he got from Sam. He curled up across from them, on the other side of the fire with his back to it. Sam went to the trunk, pulling out a stack of army blankets. He draped one over each angel and handed a third to his brother, before settling down for the night with his own. Dean lay back, careful not to wake Castiel, covering his top half with the blanket.

The fire was out, burned down to ash, before he managed to sleep.


	12. Blood Sugar

Chapter Twelve: Blood Sugar ((Pendulum))

Crowley was not looking forward to this.

He supposed he should have been. Most demons would kill to be in a spot like his. In fact, most demons DID kill to be in spots much worse than his. But there was a distinct difference between them and Crowley. Most demons were overconfident. They thought human and angel alike was no match for them; that they'd always win out in the end. Crowley held no such delusions. He knew exactly what was coming for him. The humans, for starters, were bad enough. Hunters. Two very skilled hunters, with the means to make his life very difficult. Or very short, depending on how the fight went.

And then there were the angels. The first one wasn't so bad. Being an angel in Purgatory didn't really mean much. He wouldn't have any of his angelic powers down here, so unless the Hunters had been training him, he wasn't going to put up much fight. And even if they had, he'd only been with them for a few days. That wasn't any time to pick up the important parts of being a Hunter.

The archangel though. Gabriel. That could be a problem. Crowley knew Gabriel wouldn't have much of his powers, but any bit was enough as far as he was concerned.

It was complicated.

He had to come up with a plan. That was what Crowley was good at. Most demons failed right off the bat because they didn't plan for minor oversights like stubborn humans or capricious archangels. He knew from his sources that they were on their way. They had a car with a trunk full of weapons that were specifically used to kill and maim demons. He didn't want that.

So he had to make sure the car didn't make it. Sure, he could kill them all in the process, but he didn't hold high hopes for that actually working. Besides, he needed at least two of them. One of the humans had Lucifer's pendant. And the archangel was useful.

Killing them was out of the question for now. At least two of them. The others were disposable.

Crowley gave a sharp whistle. Within minutes, a dog bounded through the hall, skidding across the hardwood floor before padding into the living room to him. This might have been cute, were the dog not taller on four legs than Crowley was on two. Crowley still thought it was cute. His pet Hellhound was a shaggy black- furred giant. His tail wagged excitedly as the demon gave it a few scratches behind the ear.

"That's a good boy… Are you ready to go fetch?"

The Hellhound barked. The pictures shook against their places on the walls.

"I spy with my little eye, something… GREEN."

"Gabe, if you don't shut up, I swear…"

Sam sighed, pressing his forehead against the glass. "Leave him alone, Dean, he's just bored. We've been driving all day."

"It's like having kids!"

"Hey, I resemble that remark," the archangel grinned. "I'm so much older than you anyway."

"We'll believe it when you act it, Fun Size."

"Oh, short jokes. That's clever."

Crowley didn't have anything to worry about. Sam was going to kill them both.

Behind him in the backseat, Castiel stared out the window. His fingers idly toyed with the bandages on his other arm.

"We'd be there already if someone hadn't zapped us to some park that was half a day's drive away!"

"Better than the wolves, wasn't it?"

"Anywhere in seclusion with you? That's debatable."

"Well, next time I'll make sure you get left behind then. You'll be the best chew toy they've ever had."

Sam felt his eye twitch in annoyance. "Will you two just—"

"SHUT UP!"

The car was silent. Everyone who wasn't driving stared into the backseat at Castiel, and even Dean chanced a few glances through the rearview mirror. The angel was curled in on himself, glaring. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes that Dean had only seen once. And that was before two demons had wound up toast.

"Dean, pull over at the next stop." He growled. The hunter arched a brow, but nodded.

He took the next exit, rolling the car to a stop in the parking lot of a rest area. Castiel pushed the door open, getting out before speaking.

"We all need a break. Especially from each other." He pointed to Gabriel and Dean. "Before you two end up fighting, or before Sam and I kill you."

Sam bit back a grin. He was thinking exactly the same thing, but he didn't think it was a good idea to grin in the face of a furious angel. There was probably some kind of smiting involved.

Castiel, having said his piece, turned on a heel and stormed off, leaving a thoroughly surprised Hunter and archangel in the car staring after him. Sam got out as well, stretching his long legs. His brother stared at him, and he answered with a 'what are you gonna do' shrug. Then he went off in search of something out of a vending machine to eat.

"What was that all about?" Gabriel muttered, pressed against the door.

"Beats me. I think they're cranky."

"Guess we shouldn't wake them up so early anymore…"

Dean chuckled, sliding out of the car. Coffee sounded good.

He found the angel staring at one of the vending machines along the row of them. He remembered when they were traveling by themselves, and the machines they'd found in the bus station. He grinned.

"Want some chips?"

Castiel glanced up at him. He'd calmed down considerably, which Dean was glad for.

"I apologize for snapping."

Dean shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It happens when you cram four people in a car for a day or two. Hell, you should see what happens when it's just me and Sammy after a week."

Castiel half- smiled. Dean fed some change he'd found in the Impala's glove compartment into the machine. He turned to ask the angel what looked good, and found Castiel pointing, his finger pressed against the glass. Dean hit the buttons.

"Getting used to this picking food thing, huh?"

The angel shrugged, pulling the bag out of the bin at the bottom. "I remember these from the first of the machines we used."

Dean nodded, moving to the next machine to get some coffee.

"I've… been meaning to thank you."

The hunter blinked, looking over after pressing a few buttons. The machine spat out a cup, which it started to fill with hot coffee. "What for?"

"For helping me," he pulled at the bag's edges, more for something to do than for actual desire to open them. "I had no idea what I was doing at first. I'm sure I still don't. Being human is more difficult than I imagined. Without your help, I'm not sure where I would have wound up. I'd probably still be in that fire trap in the woods."

Dean shrugged, taking his cup. "I'm sure you'd have managed. But I'm glad I could help." He sipped his coffee, making a mental note to help Castiel further in the future. Then he forgot about it, because he realized he'd already planned that awhile ago.

He wondered when exactly he'd come to that conclusion.

The pair walked back to the car. Sam was leaning against the side, drinking a bottle of some kind of juice and waiting for everyone else to return. There was no sign of Gabriel. Dean didn't know whether that was a blessing or a curse.

When the archangel returned, beaming, half an hour later with his arms laden in candy bars, he settled on curse.

Dean wasn't exaggerating about Gabriel taking them out of their way. They were still catching up from the detour. He couldn't really blame the archangel though, even if he'd snapped earlier. He'd gotten them out of a tough situation, before anyone was seriously hurt.

It was still annoying though.

An hour after their rest stop break, they passed the diner they'd stopped at the previous day. There were no wolves. They didn't plan on stopping anyway. One ambush in a spot was enough to pretty much swear it off forever.

There wasn't much conversation. When they talked, they argued. And though neither Dean nor Gabriel would actually admit it, they were tired of arguing. They also didn't want to risk pissing Castiel off again. Dean had amended the Driver Music Rule to now include no comments from the backseat, and was currently playing whatever tape he picked up first. While most of the car had been replicated from Dean's own in Kansas, there had been a few slight additions. Namely to the tape collection, which now included some things from Sam's collection— if he still collected tapes, instead of mp3s like the rest of the world— and even a few of Gabriel's choices. Castiel, not having much input in the musical world, was pretty good with anything.

So they played Music Roulette. It was a way to pass time, and kept them from yelling at each other. They were in the middle of what Sam informed Dean was a group called Massive Attack, whatever that was. He couldn't be sure if this was Sam's or Gabriel's. Castiel seemed content with it as well, and Dean had to admit, he didn't mind it as much as some of the others. The archangel had weird taste in music; weirder than Sam, and that was saying something. They'd learned that much with the last tape that had played, some kind of techno in another language. Gabriel had informed them it was Indian. Dean had been working on rule amendments to the game that included an automatic forfeit if said music was in another language.

The drums beat on in some sort of tribal pattern, as something hit the side of the car, hard. The Impala swerved, and Dean let out a curse, gripping the wheel tight to correct it. Luckily no one else was on the road in the daytime.

"What the hell was that?"

Sam leaned out the open window. Whatever it was had hit the passenger side. He saw nothing beside the road. "Dude, I think you hit something."

"I didn't see anything!" It would be just his luck to hit a deer or something out here. Sam would kill him.

There was another thud, this time on the opposite side. Dean swerved again, this time toward the shoulder lane. Gabriel slid into the middle seat.

"That wasn't us hitting something, that's something hitting us!" the archangel yelped. He'd felt something hit the door hard enough to push it against him.

Dean sped up.

Castiel, who'd been asleep in his seat until the swerving had happened, sat up straight. "What's going on?"

"Not sure." Sam tightened his seat belt.

Dean glanced in his mirrors. He couldn't see anything on the road with them. He took a sharp turn as the highway curved. "There's nothing here!"

"Oh fuck me!" Gabriel blurted, eyes widening as he realized exactly what they were dealing with.

"What?"

He leaned forward, into the space between the two front seats. "Hellhounds. Crowley sent Hellhounds after us. I can't BELIEVE he'd send freaking Hellhounds! They're invisible to everyone but the damned."

"How do we stop them?" Sam gripped his seat tight as another collided with the front wheel, sending the car to the next lane once more.

"Funny thing about Hellhounds is that they're REALLY hard to stop," Gabriel replied. "Invisible and demonic and all that jazz."

Dean swerved again, sending Gabriel rolling into Castiel's side. The angel winced as his brother was shoved against his injured arm.

"Not really helping, Gabe!" Dean pressed his foot to the gas once again. If they couldn't stop them, then they'd have to outrun them.

What he hadn't counted on was the Hellhounds matching his speed, slamming into the side of the car once more. It spun out of control for a second before he managed to right it, only his years of driving experience stopped them from crashing right there. He let out a curse, righting the car and speeding along the highway.

"These bastards are messing up my car!" he growled, hands gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles were turning white.

Sam grabbed the shotgun from the floor of the passenger side. He couldn't see what he was aiming for, but anything would help at this point. Most of the weapons were in the trunk, which didn't do them any good now. He leaned out the window and fired blindly.

Something yelped in pain, and bounced off the side of the car. He'd actually hit one!

"Good job Sammy," Dean swerved quickly into the next lane, pushing the car as fast as it would go.

He fired again, and heard a similar noise. Either he was a very lucky shot right now, or there were just so many of them that he couldn't miss. One worried him a lot more than the other.

Another Hellhound slammed into the car, knocking it to the side. Dean turned the wheel sharply, trying to stay in the middle lane. He needed to stay away from the sides if at all possible; the last thing they needed was to end up in a ditch, surrounded by Hellhounds.

Gabriel rolled around in the backseat, tossed either which way by the car's motions. This would teach him to wear a seat belt next time, that was for sure.

He was pretty sure there'd be a next time, anyway.

Something ahead of them flickered in the light. There was nothing there, but there was all the same. Then they crashed right into it, full on. It was like hitting a brick wall. The car jolted to a halt, the front caving in. All four passengers were knocked forward.

Dean might have passed out for a moment, he wasn't sure. Moments later, he blinked open his eyes. Something pulled at the front door, wrenching it open. He put a hand to his head, slightly disoriented. Then he jumped up, recalling what had just happened.

Sam was sprawled in the passenger seat, unconscious. He looked like he'd hit his head on the impact. A thin trail of blood ran down his temple. Castiel was curled up in his seat. He wasn't moving. Gabriel was gone, and the back door was wide open.

Dean moved to help his brother when something yanked him out of the car by the back of his shirt. He barely had time to undo his seat belt before he got choked by it, as he was pulled out onto the pavement.

"Sam!" He moved to get up, to go back and help them, but it kept pulling. There was a Hellhound latched onto the back of his shirt, and it wasn't letting him go.

"Stupid mutt, get OFF!" Gabriel kicked at an invisible Hellhound, yelling. One foot flailed wildly, while the other was pulled out, dragging him away from the car.

Dean fought against the hound he was currently attached to, swinging blindly. He could see his brother and the angel, still inside the wrecked car, but the Hellhound was dragging him further away. He struggled, even heard a tear in the cloth, but the invisible dog only clamped his jaws down harder, this time catching Dean's shoulder.

He suddenly felt weak and exhausted. He fought against it; he needed to get away and help Sam and Castiel, but it was stronger than he was. Gabriel went quiet beside him. Dean cursed. He yelled and he struggled. But despite everything, his eyes started to close on their own.

The last thing he saw, before slipping into darkness, was the wrecked remains of the Impala, with Sam and Castiel too still inside.


	13. Conscious Killer

Chapter Thirteen: Conscience Killer ((Black Rebel Motorcycle Club))

When Sam came to, he was still in the passenger seat of the car. His head was killing him, and it was entirely too quiet. He remembered the Hellhounds, and a wreck. He guessed that one of them charged the car head on. This was completely in theory, since he couldn't see any of the damned things. If it weren't for the eerie silence, he'd be worried they were still outside the car. There was something wet along the side of his face. He blinked his eyes open and touched fingers to his temple. They came back bloodied. That definitely explained the headache.

Nothing seemed broken, however, and he considered that to be extremely good luck on his part. The driver's side was empty, and the door was hanging open. The passenger door on Dean's side was open as well, and Gabriel was missing. He pushed his own door open, and he wondered how much of a tantrum Dean would throw over his car getting messed up.

Technically it wasn't his car, only a replica Chuck had lent them. But Dean would see it as his for the time being, and that meant a death sentence to anyone who messed with it.

Sam slid out of the car, looking around. The sun wasn't down yet, so he hadn't been out too awful long. At least there wouldn't be anyone on the road for a little while longer. He wondered where everyone else was. They wouldn't have left him unconscious in the car.

The hunter caught sight of movement in the backseat, where he'd seen Castiel's coat in his brief assessment. It moved again, and he realized it wasn't just the coat, it was the angel himself. He'd been curled up into a ball and so still that Sam had assumed it was just a lump of trench coat. He hissed a curse, pulling the door open.

"Cas?"

The angel let out a groan, uncurling his limbs. He was still in his seatbelt, which he shakily undid. Sam helped him out of the car, looking him over. He didn't seem to have any injuries, aside from the bandage on his arm. A few of the cuts had opened up with the crash, and the bandage was a little on the red side in places, but not enough to be too worrisome.

Castiel blinked up at him. "Sam, you're bleeding."

"Yeah, I know. I'll take care of it. And your arm. We gotta find Dean and Gabe first though."

His eyes widened. "They're not here?"

"When I came to, it was just us in the car. They could've gotten up and went for help or something." He flipped open his cell phone, dialing Dean's number. It rang for awhile, before going to voicemail. It hadn't worked since coming to Purgatory, but he figured he would try again anyway.

"I don't think they would have left us here alone." Castiel frowned, and Sam agreed. "The Hellhounds…"

The younger Hunter had worried the same thing. "I dunno though… if they'd been attacked, there'd be a lot of blood. The road's clean."

It was. The car wasn't as badly damaged as he'd first thought. The front bumper was bent in the front, but it would still drive, he was sure. There were no car parts lining the road, or broken glass. And certainly no blood.

"Gabriel said that Crowley sent the Hellhounds," Castiel said softly, looking down the road. "Do you think he kidnapped them?"

"It makes sense," Sam dabbed at his temple with a sleeve. "But why didn't he just bring us all?"

"We were both unconscious, correct?"

"I guess so."

"Perhaps we were just left for dead."

The thought unnerved him. Still, it was their best theory at the moment.

"Okay. We'll go on to Crowley's then. If they're anywhere, they'd be there."

Castiel nodded, but looked unsure.

He shrugged. "It's not like we've got much else to go on anyway. But before that, we should get you patched up again before you bleed through that bandage. Dean'll kill me if I let something happen to you." He smiled teasingly.

Sam was fairly sure angels weren't supposed to blush. He was apparently wrong.

It took Sam a few minutes to get the first aid kit out of the trunk, changing the bandages on Castiel's arm and taping some gauze over the cut on his own forehead. Castiel helped him with that part. He swallowed the last of the Advil, hoping to banish the headache he'd picked up. Offhand, he hoped no one else needed painkillers, because they would but sorely disappointed. Pun intended. Luckily, it looked like the Hellhounds hadn't disturbed anything in the trunk; all their weapons were still there. The front of the car looked roughed up, almost like it had hit a deer or something. But it was drivable, and Sam slid into the driver's seat. The angel took over his spot in the passenger side, making sure to buckle his seat belt.

After turning the ignition twice, the car started. Once he was sure nothing important was going to fall out under them, Sam guided them back on the highway and back on course.

Dean woke up to someone poking him. He was not amused.

He groggily slid his eyes open, finding Gabriel to be the offender. Not that he was surprised in the least. He batted the archangel's hand away from where it had been prodding his cheek.

"What the hell's wrong with you, stop that!"

Gabriel didn't look perturbed. "About time."

Dean sat up, taking in their surroundings. The room they were in was dark, slightly damp, and full of boxes.

"Dude… are we in somebody's frigging basement?"

It was a small room, hardly the size of a bedroom. The walls were brick and the floor was stone. Everything felt slightly wet. Even the air surrounding them was humid. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a dim light over everything. Dean wondered if that was on purpose, to make things look more spooky. There wasn't any furniture in the room. Dean had been lying on the floor, but something had pillowed his head. Looking down, he saw Gabriel's jacket. He didn't comment on it.

"Yeah." The archangel drew his legs up to his chest. It made him look smaller than he was. "Crowley's."

"I kinda expected more… like a dungeon or something."

"Dungeons are rather hard to keep up with," a third voice replied amicably. "Too many corners."

Dean tensed, scanning the room. Gabriel just rolled his eyes.

Footsteps echoed on the stone floor. The hunter glanced in the direction of the noise just in time for a man to step out behind a stack of boxes. He wore a black and grey suit, nicely pressed. Short cut black hair and a grin that just screamed snark. His arms were crossed over his chest as he stared the pair down with interest.

"Though, if you prefer a little more flair, I've got a torture room upstairs I could give you a tour of," he continued, accented in smart English.

"Crowley…" Dean growled as he got to his feet. "You knew we were coming for you. Why'd you bring us here?"

The demon shrugged. "Call me curious. I wanted to see what Chuck thought would be his secret weapon."

"And you had to drag us here in a bad game of fetch?" Gabriel snapped, sliding his arms back into his jacket.

Crowley grinned even wider. "The element of surprise, of course. Also, it wouldn't do to have you coming up here with a car full of weapons. I do have some self- preservation instincts."

The hunter narrowed his eyes. The Hellhounds, the car crash, it was all this bastard's fault. His brother and the angel left in the wreckage. They hadn't even been conscious. What if they didn't wake up? What if there had been a chance at saving them and Dean had been busy getting kidnapped by dogs for some demon because he was fucking CURIOUS?

"Sam and Cas could be dead!" Dean lunged, intent on tackling the demon and bashing his smug face in.

Before he could get far enough make a difference, he was tossed away, landing in a heap on the floor at the far side of the room. Crowley sighed, shaking his head as he lowered his hand.

"I thought you would have learned your lesson from those other two demons… we have all the power in Purgatory. Not even your angels can save you now."

He glanced at Gabriel, who leveled him with a glare.

Dean wasn't giving up, however. He was on his feet once more, running in to attack. The demon arched a brow, watching almost curiously, before flinging Dean back once more. This time he hit a wall.

"Honestly…"

Crowley stepped over to the lump that was Dean Winchester with an air of someone bored by his dog doing the same trick, kicking him as he tried to get up once more. The hunter hit the floor again, this time with a dress shoe stepping on his shoulder.

"I thought you'd be much more clever. I'm a bit disappointed."

"Crowley…" Gabriel started, his tone a warning.

The demon ignored it in favor of giving Dean another good kick. The human's hand snapped out, grabbing Crowley's ankle and yanking. Crowley fell, his leg pulled out from under him with a noise of surprise. He hit the stone beside Dean, stunned only for a moment before kicking against the other's grasp. His heel connected with the side of Dean's head, knocking him back.

"Leave him alone!" Gabriel was on his feet, dragging the demon away by his jacket. Dean stared at the archangel, but the surprise on his face was nothing compared to the look on Crowley's face.

"Gabe—" Dean sat up, rubbing his head. Those bruises were never going to heal if he kept getting more on top of them.

Crowley came to his senses by then, waving an arm in the archangel's direction. Gabriel was knocked away with an almost indignant squawk.

Dean took the distraction as an opportunity to get up, slamming his shoulder into a pile of boxes and tipping them over onto the demon. It definitely wasn't going to kill him, but it was the first thing he thought of. The demon let out a yell before he was covered in cardboard, a bit soggy from a leak somewhere in the basement. One of the boxes split open, and a few hardbound books hit the stone floor.

Well, that had to hurt.

Gabriel stared at Dean, mouth agape. The hunter just shrugged, backing away. Any weapon you could find in a fight was a good one. Apparently Crowley felt the same way, because the next thing Dean knew, a rather large hardback book slammed into the back of his head, sending him back down to the floor.

"That bloody hurt, you bastard!" the demon hissed from under the pile of book and box.

Gabriel thought this fight was starting to get a little ridiculous. And coming from him, that said a lot.

"Fuck," Dean rubbed the back of his head with a wince.

The archangel sighed, getting up to help Dean to his feet. "Okay, look. Just get out of here, I'll deal with him."

The hunter was beginning to get dizzy again. Why did it seem like all the people he fought went for head trauma? Gabriel hauled him up by the shoulder, all but dragging him up the flight of wooden stairs toward the basement's exit.

Gabriel had his hand on the knob before Dean made sense of what was happening.

"Wait, what? You can't take him, you don't have any mojo left after that wolf thing."

The archangel rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine. You need to get out of here. Go find Sam and Cas. Make sure they're okay."

"I'm not gonna leave you here with him—"

"You said you were gonna take care of Cas, remember?"

"You can't just—"

"Dean, just go!" the angel snapped irritably, opening the door hard and pushing him out.

Then Gabriel was pushed out right after him with a surprised yelp, falling into Dean and sending them both to the black- and- white floor of a tiled kitchen. Crowley exited behind them, stepping over the pair sprawled in the doorway. He made a show of fixing his suit.

"I'm trying not to make a mess. I'd appreciate it if you didn't dirty up my kitchen. I already have to have someone clean up the basement now."

He grabbed Dean by the wrist, yanking him up and out from underneath Gabriel. The grip was tight enough to hear bones shift and Dean hissed. Crowley inspected the charm on his wrist, although he didn't touch it.

"Take this off."

"Eat me."

The grip got tighter, and Dean swore he heard something crack. He tried to pull his arm away with no success; Crowley didn't even look like he was putting any effort into the hold, but he couldn't budge it.

"I don't need to stand here playing around with you. Give me the charm and you're free to go."

Gabriel stared at them, but made no movement beyond scooting back to avoid getting stepped on.

"Sorry, I can't," the hunter grinned, even as he winced in pain. "Sentimental value and all, you know how it is…"

"Sentimental?" Crowley smirked, leaning until he was face to face with Dean. "Got yourself a little crush on Luci then?"

Well, there goes the plan of feigning ignorance about the damned thing.

"If you want it so bad, just take it."

Crowley stared at him, deadpan. "You think you're clever, don't you?"

"I like to think so, yeah."

The demon twisted the other's wrist. This time there was definitely a snap. Dean grit his teeth, growling against the pain.

"Well, I can't touch the bloody thing, and you won't give it up. What do you suppose we should do about this impasse we find ourselves in?"

"Forget the whole thing?" Dean tried, hating how weak his voice sounded.

"Nice try. Let's try that tour of the torture room I mentioned earlier, shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned, dragging the human through the kitchen by the injured wrist. Dean had no choice but to follow, stumbling along as sparks of pain shot through his arm. This definitely wasn't going according to plan.

Crowley stopped short, and Dean bumped into the demon's back with a grunt. Looking around a suited shoulder, he saw Gabriel blocking the path out of the kitchen. The archangel glared at them determinedly.

"I said leave him alone, Crowley."

"Get out of the way, angel." Crowley's tone bordered on dangerous, a clear warning. "I'm getting that charm. I already tried asking nicely."

Gabriel straightened to his full height, which was about the same size as the demon he faced off with. "I mean it. You can have the charm, but I won't let you hurt him."

"What makes you care all of a sudden?"

"Because I can, that's why."

"We agreed that anything goes, so long as I didn't touch your brother."

Agreed? Dean froze, staring at Gabriel with wide eyes.

"You're working with Crowley?"

Gabriel flinched as if struck. "Sort of?"

The demon chuckled, suddenly full of good humor again. "Don't be so modest, angel." He turned to Dean, although his grip didn't loosen any. "Gabe here has been helping me out since the beginning. He was leading you right to me."

Dean's eyes narrowed dangerously. "We fucking trusted you."

Gabriel held his hands up. "I wasn't leading him anywhere! I thought it'd be okay since Luci was gone! I wasn't expecting Chuck to have you take on Crowley! He was just supposed to send you three home!"

"So what then, were you just looking for a chance to snatch the stupid necklace before we got whisked off?"

"No!"

"That might have been easier in the long run," Crowley mused.

"So everything was a lie? All the times you helped us were just so we'd take you along?"

"It wasn't like that! I mean… it was at first. But I changed my mind!"

Dean wished Crowley didn't have a death grip on his arm. He really wanted to storm away right now. Or punch something. Preferably something that wouldn't hurt him more than what was being punched. Instead he fixed the archangel with a glare.

"So what'd you do it for?"

"What?" Gabriel stared at him. He looked pained. It served him right.

"What do you get out of it? You're selling your soul here, what do you get out of it?"

"I…"

Crowley chuckled. He slung his free hand, the one that wasn't holding its death grip on Dean's wrist, around Gabriel's shoulders. Gabriel looked guilty, but didn't shrug the arm off. The demon pulled him closer.

"He's doing it because I asked him to. Isn't that right, angel?"

Gabriel didn't reply, looking pointedly away from the both of them.

"So you're what? Just helping him out of the goodness of your little angelic heart?" Dean snapped.

Crowley shrugged, enjoying this far too much. "I like to think it's because I'm a damn good lay."

Dean just stared at the demon, his jaw nearly hitting the floor in shock. "You… and… and HIM? Oh that's just fucking gross!"

A fourth voice interrupted, calm and vaguely amused. "I have to agree with the human in this case. That's fairly disturbing."

Angel, human and demon froze in time, staring at a corner of the room that had been empty a minute ago.

Crowley glared at the stranger. "You."

Dean took a step back, as much as the demon's grip would allow. He'd seen this person before. There was no mistaking him. But the last time he'd seen him, the man was a corpse in a meadow.

Gabriel gasped. "Lucifer!"


	14. The Crossroads OC Remix

Chapter Fourteen: The Crossroads OC Remix ((Jovette Rivera))

Lucifer was as tall as Dean's first assessment of him. He was probably a bit shorter than Sam, but he seemed much bigger in presence. Dean thought that probably came from being the fucking DEVIL.

As far as appearances went, he was pretty unassuming. A quiet man, with calm eyes and short blonde hair. He was wearing the same clothes as the first time Dean saw him, dressed in the same manner as the Hunter was. Jeans, boots, t- shirt and flannel over shirt. He looked like a suburbanite on the weekend rather than the embodiment of pure evil.

He stared at them all in turn as he stepped closer. He didn't seem to be in any hurry. His arms were crossed, and he looked at them calmly.

"Surprise…"

The devil was soft- spoken. This was probably more unnerving to Dean than if he'd come in yelling and cursing.

"What are you doing here?" Crowley hissed, his eyes narrowing. He took a cautious step back.

"You're supposed to be dead," Dean shook his head. "I saw you. You were dead."

Lucifer chuckled. "Did you think it would be that easy to kill me? You humans are awful sure of yourselves."

He supposed Sam owed him an 'I Told You So'.

The third member of their argument was silent. Gabriel inched over, trying to hide himself behind Crowley. Lucifer caught sight of the motion and smiled. It was just as calm and eerie as the voice.

"Gabriel…"

The archangel swallowed thickly, a hand gripping at the sleeve of Crowley's suit jacket. "Hey Luci…"

Dean rolled his eyes. "I don't suppose you're working with him too?" he glared at the shorter man.

"Don't be daft," the demon snapped quietly. "Even for you."

Gabriel shook his head.

"No, he's not working with me," Lucifer tipped his head to the side. "Although he really should be. I guess family doesn't mean much after all."

Dean stared. "You're related to the devil?"

Crowley sighed. "I'm going to revoke your talking privileges if you're only going to ask stupid questions."

"He's my brother," Gabriel shrugged, like that much should be obvious. "Lucifer was an archangel once, remember?"

"Oh, right." Bible study wasn't really Dean's forte. Maybe he'd ask Cas about all this angel family tree stuff later. If there turned out to be a later, anyway.

"And yet you'd offer your help to some demon over your own brother," Lucifer lamented with a sigh.

Gabriel frowned. "At least he's not an ass… well… not as much as you, anyway."

"That hurts, Gabriel, it really does…" he stepped closer, and the other three moved back instinctively. "But we don't have to do this. If you're ready to change your mind, you can fight with me, and I won't have to kill you."

His grip tightened on the demon's jacket. "I'll pass, thanks."

The devil shrugged. "If that's the way you want it."

Gabriel was flung across the room without another word. He slammed into a cabinet, held off the floor by an invisible force. The archangel winced. He was held against it, unable to move.

"Gabe!" Dean moved to help him on impulse, but soon found himself in the same predicament. He was tossed aside against the kitchen cabinets like a toy, pressed against the wood beside the angel.

"I'd appreciate it if the two of you waited there. I have to deal with this one first." Lucifer turned to stare at Crowley. The expression was calm, but the intent in his eyes was enough to make the demon squirm.

"Now, let's not do anything too hasty…" Crowley took a step back, but found the wall blocking all further escape.

"Luci stop!" Gabriel struggled against the hold.

"Have a little patience, brother," the blonde began a calm stride toward Crowley. "I'll deal with you in good time."

"Dean, we've gotta do something!" the archangel hissed.

"We?" Dean arched a brow. "I'm gonna work on a way to get myself out of this. You two are on your own."

"C'mon man, it's gonna be like that?"

"Did you forget that you turned on us?" Dean managed to get his head to turn in the other's direction, and he glared as hard as he could. "You expect me to just forget about that and help you when you get into trouble you can't handle?"

"There was a reason, I swear!"

"Save it, Gabe, I don't wanna hear it." He worked on fighting the fallen angel's hold instead. Maybe there was some way to break free when the other was focused on the fight.

"Dean, what about Cas?" the other looked imploringly at him.

"Cas doesn't know his brother's a traitor." Dean snapped. "Don't you dare bring him into this like I'm supposed to help you for his sake. We trusted you, and you betrayed us."

Gabriel was quiet. Dean figured he'd made his point. He kept working against the hold, ignoring the archangel. Lucifer was advancing on Crowley and the demon wasn't moving. He didn't know where Lucifer had the same hold on him, or if he was just waiting for the other to strike. The impromptu plan was to let one take care of the other. In this case, he assumed Lucifer would kill Crowley. Then Dean had to find some way to escape while they focused on fighting each other. He'd get back to the road and find Sam and Castiel. They could come up with a better plan after that.

Lucifer towered over Crowley, not doing anything aside from stand there and stare at him. Crowley had leveled up to full height, matching the gaze.

Everyone, it seemed, was waiting for the first move. It was like a showdown in the old west, except it was taking place in a demon's kitchen.

Lucifer reached out, as if to put a hand on the other's shoulder, but it was Crowley that struck first. He aimed a punch square in the devil's jaw, connecting hard enough to tip his head back. If it had been a normal person, he would have been knocked back. But this was the devil, so it merely surprised him a bit.

He worked his jaw with a frown. "Ow."

Crowley wasted no time in punching him again. And again. Lucifer took the hits, looking unconcerned. The demon paused for a moment, rethinking his strategy, and Lucifer grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, slamming him against the wall so hard it cracked.

He leaned closer, into the demon's space. "This wasn't one of your better plans, I'm afraid."

Then Crowley was flying through the air. He crashed into the breakfast table, the force enough to shatter it. He pushed himself up from the pile of broken wood, glaring at the other.

"Not really, no. But I'm nothing if not ingenious."

A chair went flying toward Lucifer. The blonde raised a hand, knocking it away at the last second. It slammed into the wall beside Dean, who cringed. Crowley wasted no time in sending the remaining chairs at him, all simultaneously. They were splintered into pieces on contact.

Lucifer sighed. "Chair throwing. Really? I expected more from you."

"I was testing out my new juggling hobby."

Lucifer was on him in a second. Bits of broken table were flung away as the demon was slammed into the side of the fridge. It left a dent. A hand curled around the shorter man's neck, squeezing tightly. Crowley gasped for a breath he didn't have.

Gabriel muttered something Dean couldn't hear, although his voice sounded panicked. The archangel started moving against the hold once again.

Lucifer tightened his grip around Crowley's throat, causing the demon to let out a breathless noise. His hands reached up to pull at the one crushing his windpipe. He scratched and pulled and frantically pulled at Lucifer's arm to no avail. His legs kicked out, trying to push the other away.

"Did you really think this little rebellion of yours would work, Crowley?" Lucifer asked, his tone as calm as ever. As if he weren't strangling someone with no effort. The demon was a little busy trying to breathe, so he continued. "Fighting against me is useless. I created you. All of you. And I believe the saying goes… I brought you into this world, and I can take you back out just as easily."

Crowley landed a desperate kick to the other's side. Lucifer didn't even flinch.

He chuckled. "Not so easy to use one of your smart comebacks when you don't have any air, is it?"

Crowley made a choked noise in response. Lucifer pressed him harder against the fridge, tightening his grip. The demon's hands tugged against the arm holding him, but the movements were getting slower. Weaker.

"You shouldn't have gone against me. So much for self- preservation."

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw Gabriel disappear. So the archangel betrayed them all in the end, he thought bitterly.

Crowley's eyes were wide, mouth open as he tried to force air past the grip on his throat. His face was red, moving towards a strange purple color. He continued to struggle as best he could, while Lucifer watched him with a detached expression. It was like slowly trapping and torturing a bug to him. Morbid curiosity to see the light go out of the demon's eyes.

Then Gabriel blinked back into existence, knocking into Lucifer so hard they both went flying. Both archangels crashed into the kitchen wall, a cabinet breaking under their weight.

The demon gasped loudly as the restriction left, gulping in large breaths of air. He slid down the side of the fridge, hands rubbing his raw throat as he panted.

Dean also slid to the floor, Lucifer's hold on him breaking as the devil lost his concentration because of his brother.

Lucifer had his brother by the collar, shoving him back. But Gabriel was having none of it, attacking the devil furiously. He moved faster than Dean had ever seen him, punching, kicking and even, on one occasion, biting his brother. For the first time since meeting him, Gabriel looked like the fierce archangel he was supposed to be, instead of the joking, sugar- addicted man he put himself out to be.

It was almost impressive.

Still, Lucifer had the upper hand in the fight, and he tossed the shorter angel back. Gabriel's sneakers skidded across the linoleum, and he ran back to tackle his brother in an instant with an angry snarl. Lucifer grabbed him by the hair, yanking him back. Gabriel slammed a fist into the devil's eye.

Lucifer let out a yell, though Dean couldn't tell if it was from pain or anger. He tossed the archangel aside. Gabriel fell back, but was steadied by Crowley's arms grabbing his shoulders. The demon had gotten to his feet while the others were fighting. He was still panting, but he held Gabriel upright long enough for the angel to catch his balance. Gabriel glanced back at him for a second, a wry grin curving along his features.

"Took you long enough."

Crowley's hand rubbed at the angry red marks around his throat where Lucifer's hand had been minutes ago. "Oh bite me, angel."

"Later," the archangel teased, before advancing on Lucifer once again. "Get Dean outta here."

The hunter blinked, hearing his name. Oh hell no. There was no way he was going anywhere with the freaking demon he was sent here to kill. Crowley looked exactly as hesitant as Dean, but Gabriel was already knocking into Lucifer again, not waiting around for any arguments. So instead the demon ignored him completely, charging at Lucifer as well. Two against one evened the odds a bit.

But apparently not enough.

Lucifer tossed Gabriel aside, into the dented fridge. This time it knocked over entirely, spilling its contents on the kitchen floor. Gabriel moved to get up once more, but tripped over an apple, flailing before he fell. Crowley was thrown after him, landing atop the archangel with a pained grunt.

Lucifer stepped closer as they tried to untangle themselves. "You can't beat me, Gabriel. Especially here. Purgatory is no place for angels."

He leaned down, reaching for them. Then he stopped, his head tilting curiously. He twisted his arm behind him, pulling a knife out of his back that hadn't been there a second ago.

It was their demon- killing knife.

Lucifer looked almost surprised, turning the bloodied knife in his hands. He smiled.

"A demon knife won't work on me. I'm neither angel nor demon anymore." He sounded almost admonishing. "Sam."

Dean's eyes widened. Sure enough, his brother was standing in the doorway, eyes narrowed and arm outstretched after he'd thrown the knife. Castiel stood behind him.

"Leave them alone, Lucifer…"

Dean slumped against the wall in relief, letting out a sigh before he thought of something.

"How the hell do you know the devil?"

His brother's eyes widened. Lucifer tossed the knife aside with a chuckle. "So you haven't told him about our little meet- up, Sammy? I suppose we're not the only family with secrets, huh Gabriel?"

"Sam, what's he talking about?" Dean moved to the doorway, staring from his brother to the devil.

"Nothing. I'll explain later."

"What, about how your little guardian angel left you in the middle of nowhere with her spell, and how I made sure you didn't get killed within your first ten minutes of coming to Purgatory?"

Dean scowled. "Why would you do that?"

Lucifer rolled his shoulders, stretching. The knife wound was healed completely. Even his shirt was fixed. "Your brother interests me."

"You son of a bitch…" he began to charge at the other, furious, but Castiel had moved past Sam to stop him, gripping him tightly by the shoulder.

"Dean, don't. You don't stand a chance against him right now."

"Baby brother's right, Dean," Lucifer smiled, glancing at the other angel. "Castiel, right? The only one stupid enough to follow Gabriel to Purgatory…"

Castiel's eyes narrowed.

Lucifer didn't seem to care. He looked around the kitchen. "Well, now here's a bit of a problem. There's five of you and only one of me." He chuckled. "I'm just not sure which of you to kill first."

After a second, he decided on Dean. Before anyone could move, he flickered out of existence, blinking back in to slam the older hunter against the wall bodily. He grinned fiercely, leaning in to whisper.

"I'm going to deal with you and your angel first. Then my wayward brother and his demon. And then I'll take your brother with me. Without you, he'll do whatever I want him to."

Lucifer's hand pressed against his chest. It felt like his ribs were breaking under the pressure, and a scream was ripped from his throat. Castiel tried to push him away, to free the hunter, but Lucifer shoved him aside with no effort. He continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"I'm not sure what I'll do with him yet. I want to take him apart, see how he works. It'll be so entertaining."

Dean hissed sharply, the pain only growing by the second. He was sure Lucifer's hand would just go straight through his chest in a moment. He shut his eyes tight, fighting unconsciousness in favor of white- hot agony.

There was a snap.

Dean was sure it was his ribs finally cracking under the pressure of the devil's hand. But the pain was fading. That wasn't right. Was it a dying numbness? Was he dead?

"Dean!"

The wall keeping him upright was gone now as well. He fell back onto something soft. There were hands on him, not painful like Lucifer's, but gentle.

"Here, move, I'll take care of it."

Then the pain was gone entirely, leaving only phantom traces of the searing pressure, and Dean could breathe again. His eyes opened as he gasped in a breath, only to find Gabriel staring down at him.

"Okay?"

Dean could only stare with wide eyes as the archangel moved back, giving him some room. He tilted his head back to see Castiel, studying him in concern. His head was propped up in the angel's lap. Sam stood beside them, gnawing at his lip. Dean moved his fingers, feeling grass under them.

Grass?

"What 'ppnd?" he croaked out, voice not wanting to work.

Castiel tried to calm him, fingers carding gently through his short hair. "Lucifer was going to kill you. Gabriel transported us all away in time. Then he healed your broken ribs."

Dean relaxed. They were safe. He glanced at the archangel, who looked like he was awaiting news on his execution. Which Dean supposed he was, after everything that had happened.

But they could deal with that later. The important thing was that they were all okay for the time being. Lucifer hadn't killed them, and he hadn't gotten hold of Sam. Dean was exhausted. He could deal with all these new revelations after he'd had time to get his bearings back.

For now he just nodded. "Thanks."

Gabriel looked surprised, but managed a nod in return.

"We need to get back to Chuck," Sam was speaking now. "Tell him what's going on."

"What do we do about Crowley?" Castiel asked, looking at something on the other side of Gabriel.

"Nothing," Gabriel replied, his expression serious. "He's with me."

Dean sat up a bit, realizing that the demon was with them as well, sitting beside the archangel.

Crowley shrugged. "Enemy of my enemy and all that. I'll give you guys a hand with Luci."

The older Winchester started to protest. There was no way he was working with a demon. Not even against the devil. Castiel's fingers worked through his hair, trying to calm him once again.

Sam frowned. "At this point, I'd welcome all the help we could get, but we can't trust you."

"I'm not asking for you to trust me, moose, I'm telling you we're fighting the DEVIL, and it's going to take everything we've got."

"Chuck wants you dead."

He snorted. "Tell him to get in bloody line."

"We're going to have to tell him something…"

"Look, for right now, let's just get back. We can make plans—"

Gabriel stopped mid- sentence, his eyes fluttering before he collapsed. Crowley caught him, eyes widening in surprise as he gave the archangel a shake. His head rolled to the side. Gabriel was out cold.


	15. Candy Kiss

Chapter Fifteen: Candy Kiss ((The Creepshow))

They put Gabriel in the backseat of the Impala. This was for two very good reasons. Sam suggested it because it was more comfortable than lying on the ground for however long the archangel was going to be out. Dean took the suggestion because they could put him there and they'd be alerted when he tried to leave by the loud noise the doors made as they opened. Dean still didn't quite trust the shorter man, after what had happened at Crowley's place.

That was another problem in and of itself. Crowley. They were supposed to kill him, not bring him along for the ride. Demons were always trouble, and this one was a pretty powerful one.

Although he didn't seem it at the moment. He'd barely spoken to them since they'd left the house, and even less since Gabriel wasn't awake. Occasionally he would mutter something sarcastic under his breath while one of them tried to come up with a plan, but no more than that. After awhile, he went to join the archangel in the Impala, curling up in the passenger seat. Dean wanted to complain about the demon being in his car without supervision, but it did give them a chance to discuss what exactly they were going to do with him.

"We could kill him," Dean offered helpfully.

"We're not killing him, Dean," Sam huffed for the fifth time.

"I don't see what the big deal is… He's a demon. We gank demons. In fact, it was pretty much the whole point of this trip."

Sam ran a hand through his hair with a groan. Usually he was all for his brother killing demons. But this time was different. "Our main concern is Lucifer."

"No, our main concern is getting the hell out of here."

"Which we're not going to get any help on until we help Chuck with his civil war problem. He needs Lucifer and Crowley dealt with."

"All the more reason to get rid of this one. The knife'll work on him. It'll be a warm up for Luci."

"I don't think Gabriel will allow it," Castiel spoke up finally, from his spot in the grass beside Dean.

"If Gabe's got such a problem with it, he can go too," Dean snapped. "He sold us out."

"Dean—"

Sam didn't get a chance to finish, because suddenly there was an angry angel in his personal space. "Gabriel might have made a bad decision, but he's my brother."

Dean leaned back. "Well maybe you should keep your brother in check a little better."

"Did you forget he just saved your life?" Castiel growled, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed. "All of ours, actually! Or did you really think you could have fought Lucifer with a set of crushed ribs?"

"Guys…"

The younger Winchester was ignored again.

"Doesn't change the fact that he was gonna give us right over to Crowley! Hell, he was about ten minutes from sticking a big red bow on my fucking head and handing me over! If Lucifer hadn't come in, I was headed for a fucking torture room!"

"Gabriel wouldn't have let that happen." There was no question in his tone.

There was a little voice in the back of Dean's mind that agreed with the angel. Gabriel had put his foot down with Crowley when it came to hurting him. But he didn't care. The archangel had betrayed them, and if there was one thing Dean Winchester did not abide by, it was betrayal.

"You're so sure? I'll bet that if Lucifer hadn't showed, I'd have been dead. Or at least kept alive and hurting. Then you two would've busted in and he'd have you and Sam too!"

They both knew that Gabriel wouldn't have let it go that far. But Dean was mad, and he wanted to make a point.

"Just face it! Your brother is bad news. We need to deal with him just as much as we need to deal with his demon boyfriend."

Castiel let out furious snarl, grabbing Dean by the collar before he knew what was happening. He yanked the other closer, until their faces were almost touching, and stared him directly in the eye.

"My brother would never do something like that." He hissed, shaking him a little for good measure. If Dean had thought the angel's voice was rough before, it didn't compare to his angry tone. "You of all people should know about duty to family, Dean. What if Sam had done the same? Would we be having this same conversation? Don't you dare sit here and be a hypocrite with me."

Dean didn't say anything. Instead he just glared at the angel, not trying to move. Sam moved to stand between them, a hand on either of their shoulders.

"C'mon guys, calm down. This isn't helping us figure anything out."

Castiel continued their epic stare- down for a few moments longer before shoving the hunter, letting him go. He turned in a flurry of trench coat, storming off.

"Where the hell are you going?" Dean demanded.

Castiel didn't turn around. "For a walk."

Sam sighed, rubbing his forehead. The angel kept walking and his brother slumped back in the grass with his arms crossed sullenly. They really had more important things to worry about. He didn't have time to fix his brother's fights with his angel.

"I'm going to go talk to Crowley, and see if Gabriel's awake."

For a moment, he thought Dean was going to argue with him as well, about talking to demons. But he just grunted a reply, sulking. Sam supposed it was a good thing at this moment. The younger Winchester made his way over to where the Impala was parked. When Gabriel had moved them all from Crowley's house, he hadn't left behind the car. Sam wondered if that was a sort of peace offering for Dean. Not that his brother had even noticed.

He slid into the driver's side, shutting the door behind him. Gabriel was stretched out along the back seat, lying on his side. He was still unconscious, or at least sleeping. It was almost surreal, seeing him that still and quiet. Sam didn't think he'd seen the archangel this calm since he'd met him.

Crowley was staring at him, he could tell. The demon hadn't said anything, but he could feel eyes on him, studying him. Sam glanced at him, confirming his suspicions. He offered what he hoped was a friendly grin.

"Um, hi. I'm Sam."

Crowley wasn't impressed. "I know who you are, moose. So what did you and your brother decide?"

Of course he knew they were talking about him. Dean wasn't exactly quiet, and even if there was a car door separating them, it wasn't soundproof.

"Dean decided to fight with Cas instead," Sam shrugged.

"Figures," the demon snorted. "Quite the short attention span on that one."

Sam hummed in response. He still didn't feel quite comfortable being this close to a demon. But he was a little more willing to try than his brother. He knew Gabriel wouldn't let anything happen to them, and Gabriel trusted Crowley. So Sam would at least give him a chance.

"You said you wanna help us."

"That had come up, yes."

"Why?"

Crowley sighed. "I told you. Lucifer needs to be dealt with. I was in the middle of a good thing, and with him around, that's coming to a spectacular end. Of train wreck proportions. I don't know whether he'll come after me or you lot first, but he'll be out to destroy me at some point. I'd like to make that not happen, but I can't do it alone. And since Chuck apparently thinks you two will be the saviors of Purgatory, I suppose it's in my best interest to get on the only other team that could possibly stand a chance."

Sam nodded. He was still curious though. "And Gabriel?"

The demon rolled his eyes. "He's… somewhat entertaining."

"And I can do this really neat trick with my tongue."

Crowley pressed his face into the palm of his hand with a groan. Sam blinked, his gaze shifting to the back seat once more. Gabriel was grinning. He hadn't moved, but his eyes were open, shining with the same mischievous spark he'd come to associate with the archangel.

"Goddammit, angel…"

Sam probably could have done without that particular piece of information, but he was glad that Gabriel was awake, at least.

"How do you feel?"

Gabriel stretched a bit, pulling a groan from his throat. "Like I ran a marathon before getting set on a roller coaster."

The hunter rested his chin on the back of the driver's seat. "What happened?"

"I did too much at once. Overused what little Grace I had stashed. Between moving us all and fixing your brother's ribs, I'm spent for a good long while until I recharge."

Sam nodded. "Thanks."

The archangel shrugged tiredly. "I did kinda lie to him for awhile."

"He's not happy."

"Big surprise there," Crowley rolled his eyes. "I've known him for all of a few hours and he's been a laugh riot."

Sam wondered if Crowley spoke entirely in sarcasm. Maybe it was a demon thing.

"He's uh… having some trouble getting used to the new team."

"Tell him to get over himself. It's business. A means to an end, nothing more."

"Dean doesn't see things like that though."

"This is because I threatened to torture him, isn't it?"

Sam grimaced. "That might have something to do with it."

"Humans." He shook his head. "Do you have to take everything so bloody personal?"

"I wasn't gonna let him do it anyway," Gabriel muttered.

"I was bluffing," the demon said as way of explanation. "Mostly."

Sam had the feeling his mediation skills were going to get a lot of practice on this trip. "Okay. Let me go talk to him, see if he's calmed down any. At the very least, now that you're up we can all start planning what the next move is."

Gabriel nodded, folding his arms behind his head comfortably. He wasn't looking forward to having the inevitable talk with the older human, but he knew he would have to at some point. Sam was so much more reasonable.

Sam slid out of the car, taking his time in wandering back to where he'd left his brother sulking. He still looked sullen, but at least he wasn't pouting like a kid that got lectured anymore. He lay on his back in the grass, legs bent at the knees and arms pillowing his head. He stared at the sky, lost in thought.

The taller Winchester took a seat beside him, folding his legs underneath himself. They didn't speak for awhile. It was almost peaceful, and Sam wasn't looking forward to starting any of the conversations he had to.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "Gabriel's awake."

"Hm."

"He used all his Grace to get us out of there and heal you. So we've lost our trump reserve for awhile."

"Don't need it. We never needed it before. We'll manage just fine on our own, like we always do."

"You are planning on keeping them with us, right? You're not gonna dump them somewhere?"

The thought had crossed his mind. "Don't see why it's such a big deal."

"Cas too?" Sam arched a brow. "He's not gonna leave without Gabriel. And Gabriel's not gonna go without Crowley."

"Cas is free to make his own choices," Dean's tone told Sam exactly the opposite. "It'll be good for him. He needs to learn about that sort of stuff. Free will. It'll be a lesson he can take back to Heaven with him."

Yeah, he wasn't sulking at ALL.

"You don't want Cas to go back to Heaven, do you?"

"Well, where else is he gonna go?" Dean huffed. "He can't stay here. He's powerless. He won't last an hour by himself."

"Gee, Dean, let me think about this one," he tapped a finger to his chin for all of three seconds. "With us, obviously."

"With us?"

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. It's obvious."

Dean scowled at him. Sam arched a brow, looking almost smug.

"So what's with you and the devil?"

Sam let out a groan. Changing subjects, in typical Dean 'No Chick Flick Moments' Winchester fashion. If Sam weren't so used to it by now, he might actually be upset.

"What about him?"

Sam was just mad that he wasn't as good at avoidance as his brother.

"What he said back there, about picking up where that redhead left off."

"Dude, I didn't know what was going on. I was just at the house, and then I wasn't. I was in the middle of a street. You were gone, she was gone. He was the only one who explained anything to me!"

"Getting Cliff Notes from Satan now, Sammy?"

"Dean, c'mon!" Sam rolled his eyes, fingers carding through his hair on impulse. "I didn't even know who he was until afterward!"

Suddenly something clicked in the older Hunter's head. He snapped his fingers. "That's why you got all moody when I kept insisting that I killed him!"

Sam looked away. Dean knew the 'Dean was right for once' bitchface.

"He didn't like, mess with you or anything, did he?"

"What? No!" Sam shook his head quickly. "He just told me where we were. And that if I wanted to find you, I'd have to go see Chuck. Although in retrospect, I would've found you sooner if I'd just stayed with Balthazar at the club."

Dean had to give him that one. He studied his brother carefully. "So that's it then? He just gave you the info, told you he was the devil, and then left?"

Sam shrugged. "Yeah."

He stared at the other for a bit longer, as if waiting for him to crack and blurt something else out. After no such revelations came, he sighed. "Alright, fine. But next time something happens, tell me a little sooner maybe?"

"Yeah sure. The next time Satan tries to give me the guided tour, I'll let you know."

"Well, angel, this is yet another fine mess you've dragged me into."

Gabriel snickered. "You started this one. You're the one who wanted to try overthrowing Luci."

"True enough," the demon tipped his head. "But you had to go and get attached to our little trump card."

"Not me," he huffed, almost pouting at that. "Cas is the one with the stupid schoolgirl crush."

"It's adorable, really."

"That's exactly what I said!"

"I was being sarcastic."

"When are you NOT?"

Crowley grinned. The answer was, of course, nearly never. They both already knew that much.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Gabriel's voice came from closer than he was expecting. The angel was leaning in between the two front seats, his cheek pressed against the side of the driver's chair.

"Exactly as I said. That charm is the trump card, and if I can't get it from Dean, then I'll just have to make sure he goes to fight the battle."

"Okay, so say this all works out. Lucifer is taken care of," he didn't want to say killed. No matter how much of a bag of dicks his brother was, he was still his BROTHER. "What then? You just take over? You don't think Chuck's gonna let that happen, do you? He sent the goof troop after you once already."

"So what are you suggesting I do then?"

Gabriel wasted no time in grabbing him by the jacket collar, yanking him in to crush their lips together. As if that explained anything. Nevertheless, the demon allowed it, smirking into the kiss as he returned it. The archangel hummed in contentment as fingers wound into his hair, pulling just so.

He leaned back, hands still fisted in the other's jacket, all but dragging him into the backseat. After a quick bit of maneuvering, Crowley found himself pressed against one of the doors with a lap full of angel who was practically shoving his tongue down his throat. He tightened his grip in the other's hair, earning him a low groan, slightly muffled.

Gabriel pulled back, already slightly out of breath. He dragged his teeth along the demon's lip. "Come back to Earth with me after this…"

Crowley gave his hair a warning tug. This didn't really accomplish more than making Gabriel arch a bit against him, which he figured was just as well. "We've been over this, angel…"

He silenced the remainder of the argument with another kiss, just as insistent as the first. Crowley decided to let it go for now. It had been a few days since he'd seen the archangel, after all. Instead he put his focus elsewhere, fingers of his free hand dipping under the hem of the brown button- down shirt to press at skin. Gabriel growled into the kiss, squirming closer.

And suddenly the door holding them up was opened, sending them both falling out of the car onto the ground. Crowley let out a grunt, both at the sudden impact, and the extra weight of Gabriel landing on him.

"Hey, what gives?" Gabriel glared above them, not moving from his place sprawled over the demon.

"Dude, you two are not screwing in my car!" Dean's face was scrunched up. "That's just gross!"

Behind his brother, Sam bit back a grin. "You've done it before."

"Well yeah…but it's MY car!"

Crowley looked up at Gabriel as the brothers continued to argue. There was no mistaking the grin.

"We are going to shag in this car before this suicide mission of yours is over."

Gabriel couldn't argue with that.


	16. Evil an' a Heathen

Chapter Sixteen: Evil and a Heathen ((Franz Ferdinand))

Castiel had returned later that night, while Gabriel and Crowley wandered off to finish what they'd started in the car. Dean definitely didn't want to think about that one. Sam just kept chuckling.

His car, dammit! They'd almost started screwing in his car! He had rules against that sort of thing! Most of the time, HE wouldn't even risk something like that. He'd done it before, of course, but that was only after exhausting his other resources. So if he wasn't getting any action in that car, no one was. Not to mention the mental scarring he'd suffered in catching them like that. He shuddered.

He told Sam all of this, ranting to his brother as they sat on opposite ends of their little fire. Sam just grinned as if the righteous karma was swooping down and serving Dean his punishment for all the times Sam had come back to their hotel room only to find it occupied very busily. It really wasn't any fun being kicked out of his own room for hours at a time.

Besides, it wasn't even really his car.

Eventually Dean calmed down. This had more to do with him getting tired than actually letting the subject go. It was getting dark. They'd all had enough strenuous activity to knock them out early- some more than others, Dean thought wryly. But he didn't want to sleep until Castiel came back. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself. They were still fighting, after all.

The angel returned, looking no worse for wear, a few hours after he'd stormed off. Sam was flipping through a book he'd found in the Impala's glove compartment. That had to be Chuck's doing, not something Dean had in his own car. It was a Sam book, not a Dean book. Gabriel and Crowley were still… out. Dean was half- asleep, wrapped in one of the old army blankets from the trunk and staring at the fire.

Their eyes met across the fire when Dean looked up. Castiel didn't look angry anymore. Well, Dean supposed, as not- angry as Castiel ever looked. The angel was the first to break the stare, which was odd. Usually it was Dean that had to look away, weirded out by the angel's constant gaze. Dean blinked, tilting his head in a way that was vaguely reminiscent of the angel himself.

Castiel rubbed at his arm, toying with the bandages there. He looked almost nervous. He'd taken to rolling up the tattered sleeve of the trench coat, since the ripped edges tended to catch on everything. Dean thought it looked dumb with one sleeve rolled up, but he didn't say anything. Castiel would look weirder without the coat at this point, so he'd deal with a little ridiculousness on the angel's part.

They didn't speak. They were still fighting. Dean shrugged, lying down and pulling the blanket closer around him. He was asleep before too much longer, only slightly unnerved by how Castiel kept staring at him.

He woke up not too much later, judging by the exhaustion he still felt running through him. It was still dark, and the fire was out for the night. Something warm was pressed against his side.

Dean frowned in the darkness, sitting up a bit. "That's not fair, Cas."

The movement and the noise woke Castiel, who made a noise at having his sleep disturbed. He curled up. "What…?"

"You don't get to fight with me, then come over here and curl up with me like everything's okay," he hissed.

Castiel blinked his eyes open, bright blue unfocused. "Why not…?"

Dean couldn't really explain why. But he was still mad at the angel's words from earlier, and how no one seemed to be taking his side on this. And he was tired, so that only made the frustration worse. "Because that's not how it works. I'm still pissed off at you."

Castiel tilted his head sleepily, studying him as if he was examining a bug. Dean tried not to squirm. He was making a point here.

Finally the angel moved away, gathering up his blanket. "Fine," he snapped, getting to his feet.

Dean almost regretted it. Almost. But he was stubborn if nothing else. He watched Castiel move to the other side of the camp indignantly. After a moment's hesitation- and another look at Dean, before his eyes narrowed- he curled up again, beside a different lump of blankets. Dean assumed it was Gabriel. Castiel frowned, burying his face against the lump.

The camp was quiet after that. Dean drifted off to sleep once more, still feeling frustrated. He also felt slightly guilty. He turned over on his other side, his back to the others.

It was colder now. He wrapped the blankets tighter around himself.

He didn't sleep well that night. He couldn't seem to get comfortable enough. Granted, he was sleeping on the ground, but he'd done that a few times since they'd landed in Purgatory, and it hadn't been a problem. Still, he found himself tossing around every hour or two. He was glad they'd be back in the city by evening, so he could sleep in a bed.

Gabriel and Crowley were awake first. Dean was still trying to convince himself that he could go back to sleep when he heard their voices. He was half- tempted to throw something at them to shut them up, but that would require actual effort. It was too early for this.

"When do you suppose that happened?" Gabriel asked, before breaking out into a drawn- out yawn.

"No clue. I thought you said it was the other one."

"It was. You saw. When we came back last night."

"Well then obviously, something happened last night."

"You think?" Dean could almost hear Gabriel rolling his eyes.

"Don't get smart with me, angel," there was no bite to the words. "I'm not in charge of keeping track of your brother's tumultuous love life."

Oh. They were talking about Castiel. Gabriel was probably wondering why he woke up with his brother plastered to his side instead of Dean's. By then he was already past the point of falling back into sleep, focused enough to listen to their conversation. He sat up, rubbing his face.

"Mornin' sunshine!" Gabriel grinned.

Dean growled something in response. They were stopping at the first diner they saw for coffee, werewolves be damned.

"Wanna mind clearing something up for us?" the archangel continued amicably. "I was just wondering what the hell you did to my brother last night."

It was too early for this. "What'd I do?"

"That's what he's trying to figure out," Crowley offered helpfully.

He had to let the sleep clear from his mind before he realized that the pair were leaning against the side of the Impala, and not on the other side of the fire as he'd seen Castiel storm off to last night. This meant that there was only one person left.

"Sam?"

Gabriel crossed his arms. "This is impossible. You're worse than a drunk right now."

Dean looked over to the pile of blankets across from him. His brother had kicked most of the blanket off in his sleep, sprawled out on his back. There was a small, unassuming ball of blanket against his side. The older hunter scowled.

"Don't tell me the innocent angel is two- timing you," Crowley grinned.

"Would you just shut up?" Dean ground out, stretching back until his joints popped. It was definitely too early for this. "I'm not even sure we're keeping you around yet."

The demon shrugged the threat off. If he wasn't going to be allowed to stay, they'd have told him to left already. Not that he would have, either way. He had a plan to follow through on.

Dean got up, starting to fold up his blanket. "Someone wake them up. We need to get started soon. I want some goddamned coffee, and we need to go back to see Chuck."

"And just what are we gonna tell him?" the archangel frowned. "That you actually didn't kill Luci, so much as piss him off royally, and that we decided to keep the demon we were sent out to kill?"

The hunter shrugged. "I don't think we have to tell him anything."

"What are you getting at, Winchester?"

"I mean… So long as we don't waltz in there with your demon boyfriend in tow, who's to say he's not dead?"

Both of them gave him a look that told him exactly how stupid they thought this plan was. But they didn't really have any better ideas, so it was their best shot at the moment.

Dean started to pack the things they'd used in their camp. He pointedly didn't look in the direction of his brother and the sleeping angel. Gabriel sighed. This was cruel and unusual punishment, getting him up from his nice warm spot next to Crowley to go play peacemaker with his brother and his human crush. There was going to be hell to pay later.

He decided to wake Castiel up first. He didn't know what Sam's role in all this was, but he didn't want to have to explain the situation to the younger Winchester if he didn't have to. He wasn't all that certain what had gone on anyway. He'd been busy at the time.

Unfortunately, the point was moot, because he forgot one thing about his brother. He reacted violently when woken suddenly.

He shook the other angel by the shoulder. Castiel gasped, squirming as his eyes shot open. He flailed before he realized what was going on, slamming an arm into Sam's side and catching Gabriel across the face with the other. Sam was up in a second, bolting upright with a yell, wondering what was trying to kill him in his sleep now. The hunter lifestyle made sudden wakeups even worse.

Oh yes. Dean was going to get it later for this.

Sam nearly tackled the both of them before he figured out what was going on. He just stared at Gabriel.

Gabriel scowled at his brother, rubbing his cheek. "I'll be glad when you don't need to sleep anymore." 

The younger hunter looked confused.

"Not you, Sasquatch. Cassy."

Then Sam seemed to notice the other angel, who wasn't curled up to his side anymore, but was still far too close to be normal. He stared at Castiel, trying to figure out why he sat there beside him, instead of invading Dean's personal space as he'd been doing since he'd met up with the pair.

"Um." He finally said, eloquently. Yeah, he was the genius in the family.

Gabriel shook his head, a fond grin soon replacing the frown. "Time to get started, kids. Operation: Road Trip is back in action, and if we don't get some coffee and greasy breakfast into your brother soon, he just might kill us all."

Sam glanced at Dean. He tilted his head. The bastard was actually considering it.

Castiel moved quickly, giving him his space. He looked slightly embarrassed, ducking his head as he began to fold his blanket. Sam vaguely wondered if he was picking up too many human traits so soon. Probably hanging out with Dean too much.

Which brought up the very good question of why Castiel had slept beside him instead of Dean. He could only think of one reason, and that was that his brother was being a stubborn idiot about their argument last night. He looked at Gabriel questioningly, nodding between their brothers. The archangel just shrugged.

Dean had packed everything back in the slightly dented trunk. He looked at them all expectantly, leaning against the driver's side of the car. He was ready to get this show on the road. Breakfast, and then trying to feed Chuck some bullshit story about Crowley. It wasn't going to be fun.

The rest of the party filed into the car quietly. Sam took his normal seat up front with his brother, while the angels and demon slid into the back. Dean started the car, muttering curses when it took more than once to get the engine to turn over. He slid a random tape into the player, not in any kind of mood for conversation. A harsh techno beat started up through the speakers.

"Alright! I win again!" Gabriel brightened, moving along to the beat, much to the annoyance of the two on either side of him.

Sam sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

Bobby was waiting for them at the gates when they arrived that afternoon. The guard looked over the bent front bumper and the dents along the side, arching a brow at Dean.

"Hellhounds."

Bobby nodded. That explained things pretty well.

There were four of them once again. Crowley was hiding out in a hotel just outside the city. After a few hours in the car with the Hunters and angels, he thought he got the best part of the deal.

Bobby led them all inside, leaving the car just past the gates, where they'd picked it up at the start of the mission. Dean looked more sullen than usual. Castiel was toying with a bandage on his arm. Gabriel stared at the floor, frowning. Only Sam looked normal, and he just looked like a long- suffering parent on a field trip. The older man just shook his head, guiding them back up the large staircase to Chuck's room.

Becky was waiting for them there, energetic as ever. She even hugged Sam, making the taller Hunter blush a bit. She started talking excitedly, asking them about the hunt, how everyone was, why did Castiel have one sleeve of his coat rolled up?

Luckily, Chuck popped in soon after, cutting her off before Dean snapped at her. There were the same bright flashes of light as before, and the smoke filled the large green room. When the smoke cleared, the dragon was sitting against the wall once more.

"What's up guys?"

Dean decided to do the talking. He was the better liar out of the brothers. "We took care of Crowley like you wanted."

The dragon's head tilted. "Did you?"

"Yeah. He won't be a problem for you." Technically it wasn't lying. He never said they killed him. And if he was fighting with them, then he wouldn't be a problem.

"No, I don't suppose he will…" Chuck replied distantly, as if lost in thought. "Although he might be a problem to the hotel staff, if you leave him by himself long enough."

Dean's eyes widened. "You-"

He chuckled. "C'mon Dean… visions, remember? I knew you wouldn't kill him before I even sent you out there. Gabriel wouldn't have let you anyway."

The archangel blinked, finally looking up from the floor.

"Wait, so if you knew we wouldn't do it, why'd you send us out there?" Sam frowned in confusion.

"Because you needed to be there," Chuck replied patiently. "You needed to find Crowley, so he could go with you. And Lucifer needed to see you both."

"You knew he was still alive?"

"Of course. It's not as if a little angel magic would kill the devil. If it did, they would've done it millennia ago."

"That's what I said!" Sam threw his arms up.

"So let me get this straight," Dean crossed his arms, stepping closer to the dragon. "You knew this mission was gonna fail, but you sent us out anyway? How much did you know? Did you know about the Hellhounds? The car crash that could've killed us all? Luci busting in and nearly taking us all out before Gabe mojoed us away?"

"I knew about all of it." Chuck tapped a claw against the marble floor. "That's kinda the thing about having visions. You see things like that."

"You sent us out there to get our asses kicked!" the older Winchester snapped. "You told us it was a simple demon hunt and we went in there blind!"

He shrugged. "You wouldn't have gone if I told you what was really going on."

"Still would've been helpful!"

"I knew you wouldn't get killed anyway. I saw you coming back. I also know that Crowley's going to show up in a few minutes, once he figures out the story won't fly. After that though, I'll have to tell you in a minute. I don't get everything at once."

"Great," Gabriel leaned against the wall. "So we'll just wait until you get your vision that tells us how to deal with Luci."

"It doesn't work like that, Gabe."

"Well, it's better than the alternative!"

Chuck sighed. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry I lied, really. I had to put you in the right place, and it was all I could think of. Just stay here tonight, and we can start making plans in the morning."

"You've been jerking us around since we got here," Dean growled. "We've had enough. You're gonna send us home."

"But Lucifer-"

"If you wanted our help, you should've just fucking told us! We're out, Chuck. Find someone else."

Castiel blinked out of his thoughts, staring at him. "Dean…"

"Not now, Cas." He was busy glaring at a dragon.

"Fine. Whatever," Chuck sighed. "I'll do the spell tomorrow. Happy?"

"It's a start," he shrugged. "Now, unless you need anything else, that DOESN'T involve fighting the freaking devil, then I'll just get out of your scales."

He turned on a heel, strolling away towards the door. Bobby was glaring at him, and Becky looked like he'd just kicked her puppy. He pushed the door open to leave when he ran into something.

Crowley fell back with an 'oof'. Dean blinked. "What the hell?"

"Sorry, wasn't anyone here a minute ago," the demon straightened his jacket, looking past him to the dragon taking up the far wall. "Am I interrupting?"

"We were done, actually." Dean replied.

Crowley wasn't even paying attention to him anymore. He grinned, pushing past the human with a thoughtful hum. "So this is the Chuck I hear sent a few humans to deal with me?"

"Hey Crowley."

"If it makes you feel any better, he knew we wouldn't kill you," Sam held up an index finger.

Crowley paced around the room, arms folded behind his back. The rest of the room's occupants watched him. When he reached the dragon's side, he tapped a finger along a few scales.

"What are you doing?" Castiel tilted his head.

Crowley didn't answer. Instead, he reared back, slamming a fist into the dragon's side. It went straight through, until he was shoulder- deep in Chuck's side.

Angel and human alike gaped. Everyone was silent.

Except Dean. "Holy shit!"


	17. Am I Demon?

**Note: I am SOOO sorry guys. This thing got away from me so bad. But I finished out the whole thing on LJ, an' I'm gonna finish it here. I'll prolly do it a few at a time to spare anyone that has me on Alert tho. =T Also, I JUST NOW noticed that FF.N totally ignored my scene breaks, so I'm really sorry to everyone that's been sloshing through this thing an' wondering what the hell's going on. I've fixed it now, an' I'll go back later an' edit the old chapters. Anyway, just a small thank you to everyone who's read, commented, faved this story or put it on Alert. It means a lot, since I'm always convinced writing's not as strong a point as drawing is for me. With that said, on with the show. :D**

Chapter Seventeen: Am I Demon? ((Bonie 'Prince' Billy))

No one spoke.

Everyone just stared at Crowley, not sure what to do at that point. There was a hole in the dragon's side in the shape of the demon's fist. Crowley didn't look surprised.

Finally, Bobby broke the trance everyone seemed to be in. He stormed over, yanking the demon back by the back of his suit jacket. Crowley made no move to fight the guard, instead looking vaguely amused.

Sam stared at the damage done. He frowned. Instead of blood and guts that should be pouring out of a wound that size, there was nothing. He stepped closer, examining it. Bobby put out a hand to stop him, but he ignored it. The guard rolled his eyes. There really wasn't any use at this point.

"Um…" Chuck sounded nervous. Not hurt, just nervous.

The younger hunter stepped in closer, pushing back a scale to see the hole more clearly. It was hollow. Mostly. There were a few gears inside, turning the head and joints, but for the most part, it was just scales over a frame. It wasn't real.

Dean was beside him now, looking inside the fake- dragon as well. He caught sight of the gears, blinking up at the thing's head. "Chuck, are you a robot?"

Chuck sighed. "No Dean, I'm not a robot."

"Then what are you?" Sam frowned.

Crowley disappeared from his spot beside Bobby, reappearing a moment later with a human in tow. The new human yelped, obviously not expecting to be manhandled by a demon. He took a step back before he realized he was in the middle of the group.

He was nervous- looking, somewhat twitchy. He had reddish- brown hair that looked like he attempted to get it to stay down, but it always had a few ideas of its own. He was scruffy, as if he'd forgotten to shave for a few days, and wore glasses that seemed to perpetually slide down his face. He looked around the room at all of them, managing a tight smile.

"Um…hi?"

The voice was the same.

"Chuck?" Dean stared the shorter man down. This was the same guy as the dragon?

"Yeah?"

"…Are you wearing a bathrobe?"

Chuck looked down at the forest green terrycloth thrown on over his clothes. "It's comfortable."

"It's like… five in the evening."

"Bathrobes are not important at the moment," Castiel gave Dean a look.

Crowley chuckled. "Stylistic tendencies aside, I agree." He glanced at the human, as if appraising him. "What I'd like to know is why you felt the need to play dragon."

Chuck shrugged. "It's obvious, isn't it?" Sometimes Chuck forgot what actually WAS obvious, since most things were obvious for him. It kind of came with the territory of psychic visions. "No one's going to listen to a little human, even a psychic one. Especially not demons or angels."

Dean had to concede the point there. He knew what Chuck could do, and he was still having trouble taking the man seriously. He looked like a crazy homeless person. Alternatively, an alcoholic.

"Look," he continued, holding his hands up placatingly. "Let's just all go have something to eat, and I'll explain the whole thing, okay? It's a bit of a long story."

That seemed like the best idea Dean had heard all day.

They all filed to the dining room, keeping their questions to themselves until Chuck had a chance to tell them everything. Dinner was already waiting for them when they arrived, in the same spaces they'd sat in before. There were two new spaces set, one at the head of the table for Chuck, and one to the other side of Gabriel for Crowley.

Everyone took their seats, and in some cases- mostly Dean's- started eating. Chuck cleared his throat, poking at his mashed potatoes.

It was actually Becky that spoke first. She looked more subdued than anyone had seen her yet. She frowned. "Before you all start harping on him, you should know that he did this for a good reason. He's trying to help everyone."

She sounded proud of him. It only made Chuck squirm a bit in his seat. "Becky…"

"It was our idea just as much as his anyway."

"We will not cast judgment until hearing his side of the story," Castiel spoke up, hoping to calm her.

It seemed to work. She nodded, going back to her salad. If she stabbed a few pieces of lettuce harder than she should have, no one said anything.

Chuck cleared his throat, and everyone- aside from Becky and Bobby- looked expectantly at him.

"I came to Purgatory the same way you guys did," he began, "This girl came to me one night, and told me she was an angel. I'd seen it coming, of course, so I knew to believe her. She told me that I needed to go with her, because there was somewhere that was going to need my visions. I wasn't doing anything important at the time, really. I was barely making rent as it was. So I went with her. She brought me here."

Dean frowned over his onion rings. At least Chuck had been given a choice in coming here.

"When I got here, it was pretty chaotic. All four of the magic sides were fighting each other. Even Jo and Anna. And this city was right in the middle of it. The angel said that I could help this city. I thought she was out of her mind. I mean, I'm not exactly the type you'd trust to do much of anything, let alone help an entire city from two angels, one ex- angel and a pretty powerful demon. But I didn't need to fight. She said that my visions would help bring the people here that could stop the fighting. That was more my style."

Gabriel snorted, picking at a few strawberries on his waffles.

"So I tried to calm the people down. I figured I could at least tell them what was going on. It didn't work so well."

Bobby rolled his eyes. "That's a damned understatement. They took one look at him and went right on panicking."

Chuck shrugged, not bothering to deny it. "The only two people that stopped to listen were these two."

"I needed a good laugh," Bobby conceded.

"I just thought he was cute, trying to be all authoritative." Becky grinned.

"So the three of us came up with a plan. We needed something big. Something that people would stop and listen to. Something they thought might be powerful enough to help them. Bobby went through a lot of his old books and we decided that a dragon kinda fit the bill. So we made one."

"We let a few people in to see it, and they spread the word to the others," Bobby continued. "That way we didn't run the risk of someone getting too close and figuring it out. The special effects helped too. Lights and smoke and all that. It's more chemistry than magic."

"After awhile, Jo and Anna got wise to us. But they didn't really want to fight each other, so they helped us out. Made it more convincing with a little angel magic."

"And now it's got a giant hole through it that'll need to be fixed," Bobby shot a glare at Crowley, who only winked at him with a smirk.

Chuck looked around the table at them. "And that's pretty much it, I think. We kept this up until you all got here. When I got visions, I'd tell the people, and as a dragon, they believed me."

"So what now?" Sam sat back in his chair. "Any visions on what happens next?"

"He's sending us home, that's what," his brother countered. "Just because we know his story doesn't change that much."

"I did… have a vision about that," he spoke up. "But you're not gonna like it."

Green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why not?"

Chuck gnawed at his lip a bit before speaking. "I saw the spell being performed tomorrow, just like I said. But at the last second, you step out of it, Dean."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"I'm not clear on that part…"

"Well that's helpful," the elder Winchester growled.

"It's not always straightforward."

Dean shook his head. "We're gonna do it anyway. I just won't step out, now that I know I'm supposed to."

"I don't really think it works like that," Becky made a face.

"Don't care. Me, Sam and Cas are getting out of here tomorrow."

Castiel looked at Gabriel sadly. The archangel just stared at his empty plate.

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Dean sighed. He had a feeling he was going to regret this.

He sat out in the hall beside the door to his room. They'd been given the same rooms as they'd had before, even down to the order that they lined the hall. Dean supposed that was because they had the right clothes in all the dressers.

It was getting late. They'd finished dinner, and as mad as Dean was at Chuck for jerking them around, he was at least grateful for feeding them. The food was good. They'd talked a bit more with Chuck, or at least Sam had. Dean had one thing on his mind, really, and that was making sure Sam and Castiel were safe. He regretted not finishing the job, but there was no way they were fighting the devil and winning. Even with an archangel and a demon on their side, they barely made it out alive the first time.

It went against his instincts though, leaving the job. He could hear his father yelling at him in the back of his head. He knew the people in this city would suffer because of him, and he wasn't proud of that. But he had people to look after. And at least half of the people in town were demons.

So it was his last night in Purgatory. He wasn't going to let Chuck's vision stop him. The future wasn't set in stone. All he had to do was change it, by making sure he didn't step out of the circle for any reason whatsoever. He was ready for it.

This part of things, however, he was less sure about.

It was his last night here, and Castiel's last night before returning to Heaven. And Dean knew that it was stupid of them to part on unfriendly terms. He was going to suck it up and apologize. The angel deserved that much, at least. Then they could spend their last night together being friends again, rather than avoiding each other. Castiel had barely said five words to Dean all day, and it pissed him off. It was entirely his own fault though; he was the one that told Castiel they were still fighting.

The angel stepped into the hallway. He paused at Sam's door. Rage built in the pit of Dean's stomach. Another reason he was going to clear things up with Castiel was because he'd been so angry that morning, seeing the angel curled up to his brother's side.

He really wasn't ready to admit that part yet, though.

Instead, he cleared his throat. "Hey, Cas…"

Castiel turned his head, glancing at him. "Yes?"

Dean swallowed thickly at the cold tone. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

The angel arched a brow. "Are we allowed to speak to one another now?"

He deserved that. "Uh, yeah. That's what I wanna talk to you about. But not in the hallway. Wanna come in my room?" Okay, it wasn't one of his smoothest moments, but he'd never tried to apologize to an angel before.

For a moment, he thought Castiel would refuse. He studied the hunter, almost calculating, debating whether or not to accept the invitation or just knock at Sam's door. Dean just stared at him. Finally, he conceded.

"Very well." he sighed, stepping away from the younger Winchester's door and towards Dean's own.

Dean almost relaxed, until he realized they were going to have to talk about this. And Dean's weak point was talking. Not smart- ass one- liners to fake out demons. That he was very good at, proud of it, in fact. But normal talking, about emotions and how he'd hurt the angel's feelings, that was another story.

He almost decided against it after all, but by then Castiel was already moving past him into the room, so it was too late. Dean shut the door behind them.

"Okay, look. We both said some stuff that we probably shouldn't have. So I'm sorry."

The angel sat on the edge of the bed, staring up at him. The staring thing would never stop being awkward, he swore. He leaned against the door.

"So you're not mad at me anymore…?"

"I… shit, Cas, I was just mad in general. Of course I don't blame you for sticking up for your brother, even if he does dumb stuff. That's what family's for, I know that. I was just upset, and no one else seemed to think it was a big deal. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Castiel hummed. And then he smirked. Dean's jaw dropped because the goddamned angel fucking SMIRKED.

"I'll forgive you on one condition."

He was definitely hanging out with Gabriel too much. That had to be it.

"What's that?"

"I get to use you as my… human pillow, I suppose is what you'd say."

Dean laughed at that. "Okay, fine. It's better than you trying to sleep with my brother anyway."

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When Dean woke up the next morning, Castiel was gone. He wasn't too concerned though. The angel had slept just fine; he had just gotten up earlier. Dean washed up and left the room, figuring that everyone would be in the dining room as they'd usually been when he woke up.

Sam was there, along with Bobby and Becky. He was reading again, which didn't surprise Dean in the slightest. It was Sammy, he was always reading things. Becky tried to talk to him every so often, and he muttered something in response, only half- listening. Bobby just sipped his coffee. Crowley wandered in a few minutes after Dean, looking disheveled and almost hung over as he slouched in his chair. He recalled then that most of the demons here were nocturnal. It probably took a lot to shift into waking up in the daylight.

Crowley was soon sipping at tea and looking a little more ready to deal with the world, and still there were no angels. Dean was on his second cup of coffee- black, of course- and he finally frowned, tossing an unused sugar packet at the demon.

"Where's your boyfriend and his brother?"

Crowley scowled at him, flicking the packet right back. "Having a heartfelt little chat. Miss him already?"

Dean almost threw something heavier than a sugar packet, like a chair, but Chuck popped his head in the doorway, smiling sheepishly.

"Spell's ready guys."

Sam and Dean looked at each other. This was it. Sam folded the edge of the page, marking it before shutting the book. He got up, waving at the three who remained sitting at the table.

"It's been… well, not really fun. But thanks all the same."

He left, and Dean went to follow. "See you guys."

Crowley grinned. "It was nice getting to kick your ass for awhile."

Dean had kept the spoon from his coffee for a reason. He tossed it at the demon before hurrying out after Sam. The brothers followed Chuck back up the large staircase to the main room. The dragon was gone from the wall. There was a circle drawn in red in the center of the marble floor. It was the same as the one the redhead had used to bring them there.

Castiel and Gabriel were already in the room, speaking quietly to themselves. Gabriel looked up at Dean and gave a knowing grin. The older hunter arched a brow in confusion. Weird archangels.

The Winchesters went to stand in the circle's center. Castiel said a few more things to his brother that the others couldn't hear, and then moved to join them. Gabriel stood beside Chuck, a sort of sad smile on his face.

Chuck muttered a few words in Latin, pushing his glasses up. The circle began to glow. Wind seemed to come from nowhere, blowing at their hair and coats. Dean shut his eyes, ready for the blinding light that came before they were transported.

And then something was pressed up against him. His eyes shot open in surprise in time to catch bright blue, and Castiel was far too close. The angel grabbed at his face with both hands, slamming their lips together hard enough to hurt. Dean made a noise into it, nearly falling back in shock if Castiel hadn't been holding onto him.

Sam and Chuck gaped at the sight. Gabriel only smirked.

The light got brighter and Castiel hadn't let him go yet. Then Sam let out a yell, falling out of the circle. Or not falling, exactly. He was pushed. He fell to his hands and knees on the cold floor, eyes wide. He had all of a moment to stare up at his brother before Lucifer flashed into existence beside him. The devil grabbed Sam by the arm, hard. Sam caught sight of what had him before looking back at Dean, horrified, and then they were both gone before Gabriel could tackle his brother. The archangel went skidding along the floor instead.

"Sam!"

Dean didn't even think as he stepped out of the circle to where his brother had been seconds ago. Castiel was right behind him. Once no one was left inside it, the circle ceased its glowing, the wind dying in an instant.

Dean had stepped out of the circle, just as Chuck said.

But more importantly, Sam was gone.


	18. Elephant Bones

Chapter Eighteen: Elephant Bones ((That Handsome Devil))

When Sam woke up, he found himself in his own bed. In his own room. On Earth. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking around. Everything was exactly how he remembered leaving it. All his books were on the shelves, his laptop was on the desk, glowing faintly, and even all his photos were tacked to their regular places on his bulletin board.

He remembered Purgatory. Chuck had tried to send them home, but…

He frowned. Something had happened, he knew it. He just couldn't remember quite what it was. It had been bad though. If he shut his eyes, he could make out a flash of something, of staring up at Dean from the floor. His brother looked terrified.

The door opened, snapping him out of his thoughts. He tensed; ready to attack whatever came through the door, only to have Dean pop his head inside. He caught sight of Sam and grinned easily.

"Hey Sammy, glad to see you're up. I got some breakfast if you're hungry."

Then he was gone again, and Sam just stared after him. He pushed the blankets back, getting out of bed to pad out of the room after him. His brother was in the kitchen, singing along idly to the radio, some old rock song. He paused in the doorway, staring for a moment. Dean was spooning eggs onto a pair of plates.

Sam sat at the small table, gnawing at his lip. Something was off. He'd been in trouble, he knew it. How had they gotten home anyway?

Dean set a plate in front of him. "Something on your mind?"

The younger Winchester peered at the eggs and bacon as if they would tell him all the answers. "Dean, how… what exactly happened with Chuck?"

Dean sat down across from his brother with his own plate, wasting no time in digging in. "You don't remember?"

Sam shook his head. "I remember most of it, but… some things aren't fitting right. I thought something had gone wrong."

"You mean the part when Lucifer came back?" He bit at a piece of bacon, watching as his brother nodded. "I guess you're wondering how Lucifer got involved and yet we still made it back?"

Another nod. Sam poked at his eggs with a fork.

"Gabriel. He used whatever power he'd picked up in reserve to beat Lucifer back quick enough for you to get back in the circle. Then we were sent home. The spell knocked you out for a while though. So you've been sleeping for pretty much most of yesterday and all night."

Sam frowned, thinking this all over. He didn't remember it, no matter how hard he tried. It made his head hurt when he attempted it. He took a bite of his eggs.

"Where's Cas?"

Dean tilted his head, a gesture that reminded Sam of the angel in question. "He went back to Heaven like he was supposed to."

The younger hunter gave him an odd look. "You just let him go?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Dean shrugged.

"But you and he-"

Dean gave him another easy grin. "Sammy, are you sure you're okay? You didn't hit your head or anything on the way home, did you?"

Sam scowled. "Of course not. I just thought you two-"

"Angels belong in Heaven. Humans belong on Earth. That's the way it is."

Sam frowned. His brother could be such a stubborn idiot sometimes.

"Anyway, if you're feeling up to it, I got a case for us. Dad emailed it to us this morning. He would've taken care of it, but he left a couple days ago on one of his own."

"A case? What about?" He bit into a slice of bacon.

"Shapeshifters."

Sam wrinkled his nose. He hated Shapeshifters. Too much trouble. "What's going on?"

"Apparently they're trying to do some sort of ancient ritual. I'm not really clear on all the details. They've got some sort of weapon that they're gonna use to do it. Dad says it might have something to do with opening a gate to another world."

"Like Purgatory? Or hell?"

Dean nodded. Sam knew they couldn't let that happen, no matter what. They had to stop it fast. "Where do we go?"

"Weird part is, it's just a couple of towns over." He flipped through a few pieces of paper their dad had sent them. "Finish your breakfast and we'll head out."

Sam nodded.

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Dean rounded on Chuck, grabbing the smaller man by the collar of his robe and yanking him face- to- face with the Hunter. Chuck let out a yelp, but didn't move, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Why the hell didn't you warn us about this? Sam's gone!"

"I- I didn't know!" Chuck shrunk back as much as he could in Dean's grip. "I just saw you leave the circle, I didn't see why! I swear, if I had known, I would have warned you!"

Dean shook him a little for good measure, before Castiel's hand on his arm stopped him. He turned his head enough to meet the angel's eyes, staring for a moment before shoving Chuck back with an angry noise. He grabbed Castiel by the arm and started for the door.

"C'mon Gabe… we're going."

The archangel hurried behind them. Even he wasn't dumb enough to argue with Dean at this point.

Chuck stayed where he was. "Where are you going?"

The hunter narrowed his eyes. "To go kick the devil's ass and get my brother back."

They collected Crowley, who they found in the dining room throwing sugar packets at Bobby. They made it just in time; it looked like, since the guard looked about thirty seconds from lunging over the table to throttle the demon. Crowley had that effect on people.

The four of them left the castle. The Impala was right where they'd left it, although at some point in the night it had gotten itself fixed up. The bumper was no longer hanging on by a thread, and all the dents were smoothed out. It looked as good as new. Dean suspected there was magic involved. Or he would have, if he'd been concentrating on anything besides finding Sam and beating the shit out of a fallen angel.

He wasted no time sliding into the driver's seat, where the keys were in the ignition, waiting for him. Gabriel and Crowley quickly got in the back, and Castiel's hand was on the passenger door before he thought better of it. He wondered if Dean would want him sitting in his brother's spot.

Dean saw the hesitation and frowned. "Get in, Cas, we gotta go."

The angel nodded, opening the door and sliding in. He offered Dean what he hoped was a comforting look. He wasn't entirely sure it worked, since Dean only stared at him for a moment before turning the car on.

The drive was quiet. No one wanted to talk. Crowley had tried to start a conversation, but was quickly shot three dirty looks. He muttered something about tough crowds under his breath, but didn't continue. Dean didn't play any music. He just drove along the highway.

Finally, Crowley had enough. He sighed. "Where are we even going?"

"To find Sam." Dean ground out.

"Yes, that's all well and good, but you look like you're driving back to my place." Crowley rolled his eyes. "You're not going to find them there."

Dean blinked, staring at the demon through the rearview mirror. He was right. For some reason, he thought Lucifer would be hiding out at the mansion they'd picked Crowley up in. But that wouldn't make any sense.

"So where do we find him then?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Believe it or not, I usually didn't go looking for him. Quite the contrary, actually. But I think I know someone who can tell me."

It was something at least. It was probably the best shot they had right now. "Alright. Where do we need to go?"

Crowley slouched back in the seat, leaning a bit against Gabriel. "Get off the highway in three exits. Then make a left at the end of the street."

Dean nodded, speeding up a little. Something touched his arm and he glanced down. Castiel's hand had settled there and he looked up, meeting the angel's eyes.

"We'll find him, Dean."

"Yeah, I know." He offered a weak grin, taking the exit Crowley instructed.

It was afternoon when they reached the place Crowley directed them to. It was a Laundromat. Dean parked the car, twisting in the seat to arch a brow at the demon. He only shrugged.

"You've got sources here?"

Crowley rolled his eyes. "No, I just thought we'd pick up my dry cleaning along the way. Of course I do. I wouldn't have brought us here otherwise!"

Dean opened the door to get out.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To go find the devil!" Dean snapped. "That was kinda the whole point!"

"You're not going to find anyone in there to talk to right now."

"Why not?"

"It's the middle of the afternoon, Dean." Gabriel supplied. "Anyone Crowles knows won't be up and running until it gets dark, remember?"

Dean huffed impatiently. "So what do we do until then?"

The archangel nodded across the street. There was a fast food place there. "We could get some lunch."

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Dean chewed at his straw, wishing the soda in his cup were something a lot stronger. He was tired of sitting here, waiting for the stupid place to open up so they could pump some demon for information. Every moment they wasted was more time for Lucifer to hurt Sam. They needed to find him fast.

The restaurant was run by a few humans who didn't look any happier to be there than Dean did. They were the only four in the place for most of the afternoon. Dean just kept staring out the window towards the Laundromat, waiting for someone to come and open it. Crowley and Gabriel were talking about something, and Castiel joined in every so often. Mostly he just watched Dean in concern.

It was after midnight when Dean finally caught sight of a blonde woman unlocking the door. He jumped up from his chair, nearly knocking it over. The other three stared at him in surprise.

"It's open, let's go."

The four left the restaurant, crossing the street. Dean was ahead of them all, nearly leaving them behind in his rush to get into the place. It was a smaller building, and it looked like it had seen a few better days. There were washers lined in pairs along one side, making spaces in between them for chairs. Dryers lined the far wall, going all the way to the back of the building. There were fans blowing circulating air amidst all the heat from the machinery. The desk up front was empty.

The woman was loading a basket into the nearest washer. She took no notice as they came in. She had a serious look about her, and Dean couldn't imagine why she was running a Laundromat. Her pale blonde hair was tied back loosely, a few curls slipping out to frame her face. She wore a white sleeveless dress, the skirt ruffling around her legs as she moved from washer to washer.

"Lilith." Crowley spoke up, crossing his arms.

The woman stopped, staring at them over the washer. She scowled. "Crowley. What the hell do you want?"

"Now there's the warm welcome I was expecting," he grinned, moving past the others. "I was wondering if we could have a chat, love?"

She tilted her chin up, shutting the washer and turning it on. "What about?"

Crowley stepped closer to her, sliding an arm around her narrow shoulders. "I think this would be better suited in your office." He turned back to the others. "Give us a minute, alright? Just try not to break anything."

Lilith huffed. "Break anything and I'll take it out of your legs."

The pair went into the back of the Laundromat. Two angels and a human stared after them.

"She seems nice," Dean said finally.

Castiel tilted his head. "I don't think she seemed particularly friendly."

"Sarcasm, Cas."

"Oh."

Gabriel frowned, watching the door for a moment before moving to stab buttons on a dryer. "I'm gonna see what I can break."

"Obviously your brother's not a fan," Dean shrugged, taking a seat beside one of the washers. Castiel sat beside him.

"Of course not," the archangel huffed, clicking the buttons back and forth between the regular and delicate cycle. "I hate Lilith. Despise her even. She's a real bitch. Now Bela, she's a demon an angel could get used to."

"Who's Bela?" Castiel asked.

"Bela's kinda like Crowley's personal demon assistant or something. I'm not real sure on the specifics. But she's holding things down while Crowley's out playing around with us. She's a demon, yeah, but she still remembers how to be a human. So I like her better. Or maybe it's just the accent. I think I have a thing for accents."

Dean snorted, rolling his eyes.

A few customers came in while they were waiting. No one spoke to them; they just loaded their washers and dryers in silence. Gabriel gave up after awhile, just sitting on top of the washer nearest to Dean. Castiel watched clothes spin in a dryer.

"What's taking so long?" Dean grumbled. They'd already been here for an hour, and the two demons hadn't left the office yet.

"Conversations with those two always take forever," the archangel replied with a shrug. "They have to get most of the arguing out of the way first. Those two can fight for awhile."

A bell jingled near the door, signaling a new customer entering. None of them paid it any mind. Gabriel was trying to convince Castiel that he could fit inside one of the dryers if the younger angel helped him, and Dean was listening idly. It wasn't a half bad idea, really.

A flash of red in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked up over the washers as the bell jingled again. There was no one there. Curious, he got up, heading to the door. Castiel watched him, before Gabriel distracted him. He took his eyes off Dean and moved to pull his brother out of a dryer before he could put his theory into application.

Dean pushed the door open, poking his head out to look around. There were a few cars in the parking lot, and it had rained a little while they'd been inside. He instinctively looked toward the Impala to check up on it.

A girl stared back at him, arms folded across her chest with a small smile. Dean blinked. It was the redhead from before, the one who'd brought him and Sam to Purgatory. That must have been what he'd seen inside. He left the Laundromat, jogging up to her quickly.

"You!"

The girl made no move to leave. She just waited for him. "Hello."

He wasted no time in conversation. "You need to help us. Luci has my brother and we need to get him back. You're an angel, right? You brought us here, you can help us get to him."

She shook her head. "I can't do that. I might be an angel, but I don't have anywhere near the level of power that Lucifer has."

"There's gotta be something you can do!" Dean threw his hands up. "You yank us off our own planet or whatever, and then ditch us here to save the wonderful world of Purgatory without so much as an explanation on where we are. Then you show up days later after all the bad shit's gone down and there's nothing you can do to help? Why'd you come back at all?"

For all that Dean was ranting at her, the angel's face remained calm. "I didn't say I couldn't help you. I just said I couldn't send you to them."

His eyes widened. "Okay then, shoot. What can you do?"

"I can tell you how you can stand a chance at defeating Lucifer once you find him."

"We've actually got a shot at this? How?"

She slid her hands into the pockets on her green jacket. "There's a weapon. It will amplify the power of the angels you have with you. It should be enough to give you something to work with, even in Purgatory."

"What kind of weapon?" Dean glanced back toward the door of the Laundromat, wondering if Gabriel or Castiel would follow him.

"I'm… not exactly sure. I've never seen it."

He scowled. "Well that's freaking helpful."

She sighed. Even that was done with a sense of calmness. "Only one angel knows where the weapons are distributed in Purgatory. He'll be able to tell you what you need and where to get it."

The hunter rolled his eyes. Just what they needed. More seek- and- finds for people with information they needed. As if they had all the time in the world, and his brother wasn't most likely being tortured by the devil in ways unimaginable.

"Who do we have to find?"

"You already know him," she smiled a little.

Dean frowned. "Don't tell me it's Gabriel. Cuz if that little bastard's been holding info back from me again, I'll shove him in a dryer myself."

She shook her head, her red hair moving across her shoulders. "It's not Gabriel. Or Castiel."

It wasn't either of them? She'd said 'he', so Jo didn't count. Did he know any more angels?

The girl seemed to think he was taking too long to come to his own conclusion. She chuckled softly. "He runs a little nightclub on the edge of town."

Dean's eyes widened. "Fuck."

Balthazar.


	19. Don't Stop Lookin'

Chapter Nineteen: Don't Stop Looking (High Rankin Remix) ((Alex Roots))

Brick roads were not fun to drive over. Especially for long periods of time.

But Dean was determined not to leave his baby behind. So once they left the highway and started retracing their steps to Balthazar's club at the edge of the city, they pressed right on, over the black bricks that they followed the first time. They'd already wasted far too much time in Dean's opinion anyway. After the redhead had hinted enough at who they needed to see, she had quickly disappeared. Dean didn't even see her go. He turned his head for a second because Castiel came to the door to look for him, and when he turned back, she was gone.

By the time he helped Castiel pry Gabriel from one of the economy dryers- Dean was starting to think the archangel had a death wish or something- Crowley and Lilith were done fighting. They'd trashed the office, throwing things at each other, but the blonde demon eventually told them where they could possibly find Lucifer. There was a hotel he liked to frequent on the far edge of town, and it was possible he could be staying there again. It wasn't as sure a bet as Dean would like, but it was the closest they had.

The two places were also on complete opposite sides of the city. And as much as Dean wanted to go bust in and get his brother back from Lucifer, he knew they'd need whatever help they could get. So after leaving the Laundromat, they checked into the nearest hotel for the night, while Dean filled the angels and demon in about his plan to find this weapon. All the while Crowley complained about Dean's habit of putting lines of salt across all the doors and windows of hotel rooms they stayed in to keep evil things out. Crowley, being a demon, was also trapped INSIDE. Dean had just grinned.

He just considered them lucky that his fake credit cards worked in Purgatory as well.

Dean had to admit, he felt a lot better the next morning. He was still worried about Sam, that would never ease, but he was a bit calmer about it. Not by much, but enough. He had a place, he had a plan, and he had some help. He even managed to get some sleep and food. His Hunter mindset was taking over, rising to the challenge of keeping him calm under pressure.

It didn't do anything for the rage he felt upon seeing Balthazar again.

The group started out that morning, and by making minimal stops along the way, they'd gotten to the club by early evening, before dark. That would give them a little time to talk to Balthazar before all the demons and supernatural creatures came in for the night. The club was already opened when they arrived, although the music wasn't as loud yet. There were a few guests mulling about, mostly the sparse humans that populated Purgatory for some reason or another. There were a few people on the dance floor, moving to the beat, but most of the present guests were at the bar.

"Now this is my kinda mission," Gabriel grinned broadly, as they stepped inside. It stood to figure that this place would be right up the archangel's alley.

Dean rolled his eyes. He turned to Crowley. "Keep him out of too much trouble. I gotta go talk to the owner."

Crowley rolled his eyes, knowing he'd just been given an impossible task. But he followed Gabriel into the club, as the archangel had wandered off the first chance he'd gotten. The hunter nudged Castiel in the side, getting the angel's attention.

"You can go with them if you want." He wasn't pushing or anything. It's not like he didn't want Castiel and Balthazar in the same room if he could help it. Of course not.

Castiel only gave one of his little half- smiles. "I'll stay with you. Crowley can keep track of Gabriel. Someone needs to keep you out of trouble."

Dean blinked, gaping at the angel. "Cas, that might've been the closest thing to a joke I've heard from you. I'm impressed."

"I suppose you've been a bad influence," an easy voice said from behind Dean's shoulder. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Balthazar. Just the annoying bastard I was looking for."

"I knew you couldn't resist for long," the blonde angel teased. He sipped idly at his drink. "I see your little ragtag adventure group has grown a bit. But I thought you were looking for a tall human."

"Sam has been kidnapped," Castiel replied. "That's why we've come to see you."

Balthazar arched a brow. "I wouldn't know anything about a kidnapping, Cassy. Sorry to disappoint."

Dean didn't miss the way Balthazar gave Castiel the once- over. Again. He stepped closer to the trench coated angel. "No, but I hear on good authority that you can help us with something. A weapon."

He smirked. "That's a little more my area of expertise. What are you looking for?"

"I'm… not really sure. She didn't tell me the specifics. But we're going up against Lucifer, and she said you knew about a weapon that would help use the angels' power to fight him."

Balthazar leaned against the edge of the bar, considering the pair with a thoughtful hum. "You're going to take on Lucifer?"

Dean nodded. "He's got my brother."

"Well, that IS quite the predicament, isn't it? I'll tell you what. Let me go see what I can look up, and you two go have a drink or something. Hell, have a dance. The archangel and the demon seem to be having fun."

The three looked toward the dance floor, where Gabriel was trying unsuccessfully to get Crowley to dance along to the thudding techno beat. He was grinning though, and only grabbed the shorter man's arm when he got too close, spinning him around.

"I don't dance," Dean replied automatically. Castiel only looked toward the dance floor curiously.

"Sure you don't," the blonde offered a smug smile, patting Castiel on the shoulder as he moved past the bar and up the stairs that led to the small apartment they'd stayed at the last time they were here.

The pair sat at the bar. Dean was going to take up the offer of a drink at least. He'd had far too little to drink for all the madness he'd been subjected to on this trip. He placed dance clubs run by smug angels fairly high up on the list. Slightly under the devil kidnapping his baby brother though. The fact that those things were on his list at all was a testament to how weird their lives were. He definitely needed to drink more.

Castiel sipped at his Pepsi beside him. He was turned in the other direction, eyes locked on the people dancing. More people were coming in as it got later, and the floor was filling up. Gabriel and Crowley kept mostly to the edge of the crowd, keeping the bar in their sights.

Dean grinned at the angel. "You could go out there, y'know."

Castiel blinked, eyes going a bit wide as he turned to the hunter. "I don't know how to dance."

He shrugged. "I'm sure Gabe would teach you. He's doing a good enough job."

For being an archangel from Heaven, Gabriel was very good at normal human things. He was at complete ease in the crowd, comfortable and confident in his movements. He swayed and swiveled his hips in time to the beat, despite Crowley's near- refusal to join him. It didn't seem to bother him in the least, and he just danced around the demon, grinning like he was having the time of his life.

The dark- haired man hummed, considering this. Dean decided to give him another push.

"You should. You've been staring at the dance floor both times we've been here. Think of it as understanding human behavior."

This seemed to be the last of the convincing he needed. He finished his drink, setting the empty glass on the bar. He cast Dean one more look, as if to be sure he wouldn't mind. When Dean answered with a grin, nodding to the floor, he got up from his seat, hesitantly wandering over toward his brother.

Dean chuckled, watching the angel try to say something to the other two, yelling to be heard over the music. Gabriel's face brightened immediately, and he nodded, pulling the younger angel closer. Crowley just laughed, giving them a wave before leaving the floor. He wandered over to the bar, taking Castiel's spot beside the human.

"Good timing," he grinned, waving down the bartender to order a scotch. "Give it a few more minutes and Gabe would've been forcibly moving me."

"Cas's been staring at it like a lost puppy, so I figured he might as well give it a shot."

"Not the only thing he's been staring at like that," Crowley muttered, sipping his drink as it arrived.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Dean probably would have pushed further, but he was slightly distracted, staring at the dance floor. Gabriel was trying to show Castiel how to circle his hips. It didn't work at first; the angel was too stiff and the motion came off laughably jerky. Gabriel just laughed, telling the other angel something that there was no hope of hearing from his place at the bar. He could guess it was something about moving with the beat, since the archangel then gave his own example, working his hips to the beat coming from the speakers. Castiel tried again, gnawing at his lip in concentration. It still lacked the fluidity of his brother, but it didn't look like he was in pain this time.

"…ven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

Dean blinked, breaking his gaze from the dancing pair to Crowley. "Whazzit?"

The demon rolled his eyes with a snort. "You're practically salivating."

Dean felt his face warm. "What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, mate. At least dumber than usual. You and the angel. You're already sleeping together, so why not just stop trying to deny it?"

"There's nothing going on. Cas just stays with me cuz he's not used to sleeping…"

"And he didn't kiss you senseless when he thought you were going back to Earth?" the demon smirked. Gabriel told him about that, but he wished he'd been there to see it in person. "Don't tell me you forgot about that?"

To be completely honest, he'd pushed it to the back of his mind. It had shocked him, there was no doubt about that, but there hadn't been time to dwell on it. Not with Sam being snatched up and all the running to find out where Lucifer had taken him. Also it was just awkward to think about. He wasn't ready to admit to things he'd learned from that particular experience. The most important being that if Lucifer hadn't shown up, he would have started to return that kiss, even if everyone was watching.

He didn't answer. Instead, he turned his attention back to the dance floor. Both angels were moving to the beat now, spinning around on the floor. It was obvious that Castiel was still unsure of himself, but he was following along well enough. He was starting to get the hang of just flowing with the beat, and occasionally he would mimic whatever Gabriel was doing, moving his shoulders and circling his hips.

The hunter's face got even hotter, his eyes trained on the other's hips. There were a few other things he wasn't up to admitting about the angel.

"So what are you going to do?" Crowley asked him. If he smirked any more, the expression might not fit on his face any longer.

"I dunno," Dean replied simply, eyes still locked on the scene in front of him.

"Well you'd better decide fast, lover boy. Because if you don't hit that, I might."

Dean choked on his beer. He coughed as it burned his throat, staring at the demon in shock. "What the hell, man? What about Gabe?"

Crowley smirked. "Oh, he's welcome too, of course."

"Planning threesomes without me?" Balthazar leaned against the bar from the employee side, giving a low whistle as he caught sight of the two angels dancing. "Wow, who knew Cassy could move like that?"

"What the hell, guys?" Dean snapped, suddenly irritable. Why did everyone want to get a piece of his angel all of a sudden?

Oh good, possessiveness. This wasn't going to be awkward or anything. Dean could have smacked himself.

Balthazar chuckled. "Oh, calm down, no one's going to steal him from you."

Dean decided pointedly to ignore that. "What'd you find out on the weapon?"

"Ah, straight to the point. I like that." Balthazar poured himself a drink from the bar. "I don't know who you talked to, but she did know what she was talking about. It's a sword. And it'll do exactly as she said. Amplifying your angels' powers might give you enough of a boost to actually do some damage, if you can manage to get close enough to land a hit."

"Leave that to me. Where is it?" Dean didn't really know much about swords. He preferred shotguns. But he knew how to use a knife, and he figured they couldn't be that different in the long run.

"Currently, it's in possession of another angel."

He frowned. "Will they let us use it?"

"I'm working on contacting him. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's making deals," he smirked smugly, folding his arms across the bar. "I've asked him to meet with me tomorrow. We should be able to come to some sort of agreement."

"And if we can't?"

Balthazar tipped his drink back, finishing it off. "Then we steal the damned thing."

Dean shrugged, looking at Crowley. The demon seemed pleased. He turned his attention back to the dance floor, where Castiel was definitely getting the hang of the motions.

"I like those odds."

00000000000000

There were way too many people to even attempt staying in Balthazar's living room again. There was a hotel a couple of blocks down, so Crowley went in to get them checked in. Sometimes a demon in your group was helpful, getting them into demon- run hotels. Balthazar agreed to meet them at the club in the late morning. Crowley tossed Dean a keycard with a grin, before he and Gabriel went off to their own room.

Dean hoped it was far, far away from his own.

The room was a single, which didn't really bother him. He knew Castiel would just wind up sliding into bed with him at some point in the night anyway, and at least this way they were saving some money.

Still, it was a little awkward this time. After everything that happened lately, things were bound to seem different. Watching the angel at Balthazar's club had put all sorts of wrong images in his head about other ways those dancing moves could be used. He really didn't think those should be drifting through his mind when said angel was sleeping curled up against his side.

There was also that whole stunt Castiel had pulled at Chuck's. Dean still didn't want to talk about that one, but his curiosity was getting the better of him. Why would Castiel do something like that?

He had a feeling Gabriel had something to do with it.

He made up his mind early the next morning. He had to at least ask about it. Before Crowley and Gabriel wandered in, and before they had to meet Balthazar. He was going to regret this, he knew it.

Castiel was curled over a cup of coffee from the room's complimentary coffeemaker. The thought that Cas wasn't a morning person was funny to him for some reason.

"Hey, Cas, can I talk to you about something?"

The angel arched a brow at him. Dean wanting to talk about something wasn't a usual occurrence.

"It's about what happened at Chuck's place… right before Luci popped in."

"Oh." Castiel looked at his coffee. If Dean didn't know any better, he'd swear that the angel's face suddenly looked flushed.

"Yeah, so… what was that about, exactly?"

"I acted on an impulse. I spoke with Gabriel on the matter, and he suggested I leave you with a 'lasting impression' before it was too late."

Dean frowned. "So, what, you were just gonna throw that ton of bricks at me, and then hop back off to Heaven?"

"I wasn't throwing any bricks, Dean…"

He sighed. "Figure of speech."

"Oh."

"Still, that's just not something you do to a person before you run off and never see them again."

Castiel frowned. "That was exactly why I did it. I knew I wouldn't get another chance, and-"

He cut himself off, glaring at his coffee cup as if it had personally offended him. Dean arched a brow.

"And?"

"And I wanted to know what it was like," the angel mumbled finally.

"So you just wanted to know what kissing was like?" He couldn't tell if he was relieved or upset. If Castiel just wanted to have a kiss before he was a badass angel again, Dean could deal with that a lot easier than his friend having a crush on him.

"Of course not," he looked up at the hunter again, scowling. "I wanted to know what it was like… with you…"

And they were back to awkward.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, Cas…"

"I had assumed I wouldn't have to explain it. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable." Blue eyes were back on the coffee. It was almost weirder than the constant staring.

"I just… there's too much to think about right now, okay? Between this, and Luci, and Sam… I can't right now. I'm not mad or anything, it's just something I'm not really ready to deal with at this point."

That was probably the girliest thing he'd said in awhile. He made a face. Castiel just nodded quietly, accepting.

There was a knock at the door before he could say any more. Gabriel's voice came from beyond it, much too cheerful.

"Get decent you guys, I brought breakfast!"


	20. Pills, Demons an' Etc

Chapter Twenty: Pills, Demons and Etc. ((Velvet Revolver))

Dean resisted the urge to punch Gabriel for that particular comment. But just barely.

Castiel said nothing, just moving to sit at the room's small table. Dean suddenly had the feeling he had royally fucked something up. He got that feeling a lot when talking was involved. He knew it was a bad idea. However, there wasn't time to dwell on it, because Gabriel pushed the door open, carrying a box in his hands.

"Morning sunshines!"

The hunter scowled at him. "That door was locked."

Crowley ambled into the room behind Gabriel, looking tired, but smirking all the same. "And I unlocked it."

He wondered who's idea it was to let demons keep their powers in Purgatory when angels couldn't have theirs. And humans got none wherever they went. This system was hardly a smart plan. At least Dean had to use lock picks to get in.

"Just shut up and eat," Gabriel said brightly, setting the box on the table in front of Castiel. "I brought donuts."

Dean sat at the table, pulling a jelly donut from the box, taking a bite with a grumbled thanks. Castiel got up to make more coffee in the tiny coffeemaker. If there was one human skill he'd mastered, it was the making of coffee. Dean wondered if he'd still drink coffee once he was fully powered- up again and didn't need to eat or drink. Or drink Pepsi. Or eat hamburgers. He really should try some more kinds of pie before he went back. Dean wouldn't want the angel to miss out on trying as many kinds of pie as he could.

He realized he was staring and quickly adverted his gaze. Unfortunately, he looked toward Gabriel instead, and the archangel had such a wide grin on his face, he knew he'd been caught. He took a vicious bite of his donut. Jelly squished out of the pastry, oozing all over his hand.

The small coffeemaker had just enough of a pot for four cups of coffee, which was perfect. Castiel had a habit of watching the pot, waiting for the coffee to be done. Dean teased him that it was never going to be done when someone watched it, but Castiel hadn't understood him, instead going into laws of science that made such a thing physically impossible. The human just rolled his eyes.

Once the coffee was done, Castiel handed them each a Styrofoam cup full of the steaming beverage. There were also packets of sugar and creamer for Gabriel, who wouldn't drink coffee until it was more sugar than coffee. Crowley stole one of the creamers.

Castiel looked at the box of donuts. There were at least four different kinds, and he was confused which one he should try. Finally, he picked up the one that looked the least messy. It was a dark brown, almost black, with dried glaze on it.

"Chocolate," Gabriel supplied, biting into his own. Castiel nodded, taking a bite.

He looked at Dean, who was licking jelly away from the flat side of his hand. He nearly choked on the donut.

The hunter paused, looking up at him. "Dude, chocolate not your thing?"

Castiel shook his head quickly, taking another bite. Dean shrugged obliviously. Gabriel laughed, and Crowley just smirked.

00000000000000

The club was empty when they arrived. Completely empty. Not even the employees had shown up yet. It was eerie. Balthazar let them in after a few minutes of knocking. It was hard to hear the club door from the apartment, he assured them. Dean just thought they woke him up.

He certainly looked the part. He was still in pajamas and looked vaguely hung over. Yawning so hard it looked like he was going to dislocate his jaw, he ushered them all to the bar to sit. He started making his own coffee, which Dean suspected was more than just coffee.

"Alright. I finally got in touch with our guy last night."

The hunter rested his chin on a hand. "So what'd he say? Will he let us use this sword?"

"Well, he agreed to meet with me. That's a step in the right direction."

"You haven't pissed him off before or something, have you? Nothing that'll hurt our chances of getting this thing?"

Balthazar looked thoroughly amused. "I've pretty much pissed everyone off at some point. Especially the other angels. But they still do business with me."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Gabriel slumped over the bar with a grin, arms outstretched in front of him.

Dean had to agree. "So what time do we leave?"

Balthazar shook his head. "There is no 'we' this time, darling. Not in your case, anyway."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I show up with a human, there's no way he's going to deal with me. You're sitting this one out."

"That's bullshit!" Dean snapped.

The blonde only shrugged. "That's the way it is, take it or leave it. Also, there's one condition for my assistance."

The hunter looked very close to showing him just how much he appreciated the other's 'assistance'. It involved a fist. Instead, he growled out, "And what might that be?"

"I need Cassy to come with me to meet him."

"Oh hell no." Dean pushed off the bar, face set. "Fuck this. C'mon guys, we're going to get Sam."

A hand shot out, grabbing his wrist hard enough to stop him. He looked back to meet Castiel's frown.

"Dean, this isn't fair."

That caught him off guard. "What?"

"You don't get to do this. You don't get to tell me you can't deal with what's going on, and then act possessive right afterwards."

His jaw dropped in shock, hearing a different version of the same speech he'd given Castiel the night of their first fight. The three around them looked just as shocked.

Then the anger kicked in. The default response. He yanked his arm out of the angel's grip. "Fine then. Do whatever you want."

He almost regretted his words at the look that flashed in Castiel's eyes, but it was gone a moment later, and the angel turned back to the club owner.

"We agree to your terms-"

"On one condition of our own," Gabriel interjected quickly, holding up an index finger. At Castiel's confused expression, he grinned. "You're taking me along too."

Balthazar seemed to consider this, looking the smaller angel over. "Well… I suppose an archangel tagging along could only add credibility to our case…"

"Then Gabriel and I will accompany you." Castiel aimed a sharp look Dean's way. "Is this a satisfying compromise for everyone?"

"I told you to do what you wanted," he grumbled, leaning back against the bar with his arms crossed. He knew he looked like a sulking child, but at this point, he was too upset to really care.

Balthazar looked between the two, arching a brow. Finally, he shrugged. "Works for me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get ready. We'll be leaving in about an hour." He pointed at Dean and Crowley. "You two are free to stay here, just try not to break anything, alright?"

"Try our hardest," the demon promised, looking far too amused to be speaking earnestly.

00000000000000

Gabriel found Dean sitting on a table in the back of the club. He'd gone there to sulk after Balthazar went back up to his apartment. He'd snatched a beer from the cooler as soon as the angel's back was turned. It was mostly empty at this point, sitting beside him on the table. The archangel shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall.

"So what's up with you and Cas?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Abso- fucking- loutely nothing. Thanks for asking."

"Well you're Mister Charming today, aren't you?" the shorter man drawled. "No wonder you're fighting."

"We're not fighting," he snapped, taking a swig of his beer.

"Obviously."

"What the hell do you want anyway? Aren't you supposed to be leaving with the Angel Party?"

"We're leaving in a few minutes," Gabriel sighed. "I just wanted to remind you that I wouldn't let anything happen to him. You know that, right?"

"He's free to do whatever he wants."

"Balthazar's not included on that list, in case we were talking about 'whoever' instead of just 'whatever'," he shot back. "I dunno what went on with you two, but you're not gonna change Cas's mind so easily. I know him better than that."

"Maybe he needs to change his mind," Dean countered. "At least then when the time comes to split up it'll be easier on us all."

Something that looked like realization dawned on the archangel's face. "That's what this is about."

"It's not about anything. This isn't even an issue. We need to hurry up and get that stupid sword so we can save Sam. It's already taken way too long."

Gabriel glared at him, face set in its rarely- used serious mode. "You, Dean Winchester, are the most infuriating human I've ever met! Sort your shit out before we get back, because you're cleaning up this mess you made with my brother, whether you like it or not!"

Dean stood so fast the table shook, nearly knocking over the remainder of his beer. "Or WHAT? Huh? This isn't any of your business, Fun Size, and I'm not gonna sit here and take threats from a half- powered joke of an angel!"

Gabriel punched him before he had time to think anything else, falling back against the table as the archangel's fist slammed into his cheek. This time the bottle did spill, the last bits of beer dripping down to the floor. He stared at the smaller man in shock, hand going to the spot. It hurt, but it's not as if he hadn't been punched before. It was more surprise than actual pain.

But the angel was already storming off, muttering darkly under his breath. Dean watched him go.

Dean didn't come out of hiding until he was sure the angels were gone. The conversation with Gabriel was awkward enough; he didn't need to have one with Castiel right now as well. He'd already been punched once today.

Crowley was sitting at the bar with a drink of his own. Dean tossed his empty bottle in the trash, getting another from the cooler. He slumped against the bar, popping it open and taking a drink.

"So I see you've managed to piss off the both of them, then," the demon remarked, studying the bruise that ran along the side of Dean's face.

"It's not really that hard, actually. For being so laid- back, Gabe's got a quick temper."

Crowley chuckled. "Nearly everything about him is short, including his temper."

Dean grinned against the mouth of the bottle. "You can say that again."

"What did you say to him, anyway?"

He hummed, as if trying to remember. "I think it was the part about him being a half- powered joke of an angel that really set him off."

"You have a talent for knowing the absolute worst thing to say, you know that?"

"I've heard it said once or twice," he shrugged, tipping back a good portion of the bottle. "So far I'm two for two. Wanna try your luck?"

"I'd just fling your pretty ass around the room and you know it."

"Don't call my ass pretty, dude."

Crowley just shrugged, smirking against his glass.

"So, do you want to go over this plan of yours? I take it you're not keen on discussing the details of your angelic romance, and I'm not really too keen on hearing them."

Dean nodded. This he could do. "We get the sword from Bal's angel associate, and then head out to the place your friend gave us after you persuaded her. The sword's supposed to use the angels' power to amplify or something, which'll give us a shot at Luci that we don't have down here. We get Sam back, most importantly, and then hopefully take the devil down while we're at it."

"You really think that's going to work?"

"Best option we've got. We don't stand a chance if we go in there as we are. Even with your demon powers and whatever mojo Gabe's got saved up. Cas has basic fighting down, but he's no hunter. And we might not be able to count on Sammy for the fight. We don't know what kinda shape he'll be in after staying with Luci."

Crowley nodded. "Do you do this a lot then?"

"What, head into places knowing you've got less than a fifty percent chance of getting back out? Yeah, it happens a lot in this line of work."

"Well alright then. So long as this is your area of expertise."

They drank in silence for a while. Dean wondered what was going on with the others. He hoped everything was going smoothly, but knowing who was involved, it wasn't likely. Something was going to go wrong. They'd better make sure Cas was okay.

"So after this, you're just going to pop off once this is done?" Crowley asked.

"That's the plan," he replied, turning his thoughts from how the angels could screw their mission up. "What about you?"

The demon shrugged. "I'll probably team up with Chuck. It'll be the closest I get to being in power again without getting hunters like you sent after me all the bloody time. Besides, he could be useful."

"Gabe's staying with you, I guess?"

"Hm. Probably. Unless he changes his mind before then. He wants to go back to Earth."

"He's staying here cuz of you?"

He nodded. "It's his choice. I'm here, and I'm not leaving unless I absolutely have to. But I'm not forcing him to stay."

"So when he said he wouldn't go when Cas came for him, you were the reason. He really doesn't wanna be here, but he'll stay because of you. Isn't that giving you one hell of a guilt complex?"

He didn't really understand it. If someone did something like that for him, he'd never be able to be okay with that. Then again, the Winchester family was pretty much known for guilt trips.

Crowley just gave a half- hearted shrug. "Like I said, it's his choice. I can't very well feel guilty for something I had no part in. And besides. I'm a demon, remember? Guilt's not exactly in the job description.

"Neither is helping us," Dean countered. "You're doing that anyway."

He hummed again, finishing his drink. "Suppose so. Maybe I'm defective."

"I could've told you that. Anyone that would have a thing with Gabe has to be mental."

"I've often thought the same."

The human chuckled, downing another good portion of his beer as the other pushed off the bar to wander off. With his conversation gone, Dean needed to find something to do, otherwise he was going to get drunk waiting for the angels to return. Somehow, he didn't think that would do anyone any favors.

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Sam waited, his back pressed against the brick wall of the alley. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the silver knife at his side, silent except for his breathing. Dean had told him to wait while he checked the warehouse. He'd been gone for a few minutes now, and Sam was starting to worry. What if something had happened? If his brother was trapped in there, he needed to go in and help. But if he was working on a plan, and Sam came in and messed it up, Dean would be pissed.

So he wasn't really sure what to do at this point.

He frowned. He was giving it another minute, and then he was going in. Usually Dean didn't make him stay back and wait; usually they went in together. But he supposed that Dean was worried about him. He'd pretty much mother henned him since he woke up. Apparently, the trip back from Purgatory had taken a bit more out of him than the trip there. So he was willing to give a little bit to appease his brother's worry at this point. It was still somewhat annoying though.

The minute was over. He was going in.

Sam tipped his head out of the alley, giving a brief look around before sliding out. The door to the warehouse was still open. He hurried over to it, careful not to be seen. But before he could slide through, a hand grabbed him by the back of his jacket, pulling him back. He struggled before his brother hissed at him.

"What are you doing? I told you to wait here!"

"You were taking too long," he countered. "What's going on?"

Dean nodded in the direction of the alley Sam had come from. They quietly made their way back to the cover before Dean cursed.

"Is it bad?"

"We've got a real problem." The older Winchester ran a quick hand through his hair.

"What's that?"

"There's a few of them. Nothing we can't handle… but…"

"But what? What's going on?" Sam frowned. His brother looked nervous, something that didn't usually happen on a normal hunt. Even with Shapeshifters.

Had he mentioned how much he hated Shapeshifters lately?

"The problem isn't how many of them… the problem is the people they're trying to look like right now. These aren't just random Shapeshifters, Sam. Somehow they've managed to get a hold of some pretty important people to go parading around as."

"Like who?" Sam tried again.

"I tested them and everything. Silver. Worked just like it's supposed to, they're definitely Shapeshifters. So we're going in there. But just because you think they're your friends doesn't mean they are, remember? And the most important part is getting that ritual weapon away from them. They can't use it, at any cost. I'll leave that to you. Get the thing and get out. I'll take them down. Okay?"

"Yeah, Dean, of course. I got it."

Dean nodded. "Then let's go. You take the front, I'll go around to the back to cut off the other exit."

"Okay."

Sam ducked out of the alley once again, heading for the open door. His brother followed behind, circling around the building. He heard noises coming from the next room, so he followed them, knife at the ready. The small entry room opened up into a large space, full of some sort of old machinery. The Shapeshifters were in the middle of the room, and Sam stopped in his tracks.

There were three of them, talking amongst themselves and staring at something the one in the middle was holding. One was familiar, but he didn't know him well enough to place.

The other two were Castiel and Gabriel.


	21. Closer

Chapter Twenty- One: Closer ((Rockabye Baby!))

Purgatory, as Castiel found out, had an abundance of old warehouses that seemed to be specifically designed to hold secret meetings in. At least, that's what he assumed. He really couldn't see them being used for anything else. They had all sorts of machinery inside, but all of it was rusted and broken. It wouldn't be of any use if the building were operational for making anything. His best guess was that this is where they stored everything once it broke, since people's secret meetings didn't really need the large room they were held in.

Humans were so strange sometimes.

Beside him, Gabriel grinned, looking around excitedly. "This is so authentic. The abandoned warehouse near the docks. Do we need fedoras for this?" He looked over to Castiel before laughing. "We've already got the trench coats!"

"I hardly see what hats and coats have to do with getting this particular job done," Castiel sent his brother a quizzical frown.

"Movies, Cas, movies." Gabriel sighed, as if long- suffering. "We really need to get you acquainted with some of the classics. You're gonna need all the pop references you can get around those Winchesters."

Castiel thought that might be a good plan. Both Sam and Dean made references to things he didn't understand, and he was curious. Gabriel seemed to be more familiar with the things the brothers talked about, and seemed to find them amusing.

"After this is done, maybe we can start broadening your horizons," his brother continued.

"Show him some romantic comedies so he can see what exactly his current situation calls for," Balthazar smirked from the angel's other side.

"My current situation?"

"You are so hopeless that it's tragic," the blonde sighed, shaking his head.

Castiel stared at him, confusion obvious on his face. Balthazar just gave up on the conversation for now, instead looking around for sights of the other half of this deal. True, they were a little early, but Balthazar expected a little more from angels. Besides himself, of course.

"He's talking about your epic affair with Dean," Gabriel snickered.

"I'm not having any affairs with Dean," the trench coated angel replied.

"Yeah, that's kinda the problem."

"I don't understand." He really didn't. "Are you saying I have a 'situation' because I haven't had an affair with him? Is it a necessary course of action? Was there something I was supposed to do?"

Gabriel crossed his arms. He was still mad at the older hunter for what he'd said back at the club. But he was determined to help his baby brother out, and if that meant helping Dean in the process, then he was going to suck it up and do it. He owed Castiel that much, at least.

"It's not just your fault. It's his too. You're both hopeless."

Castiel did understand that much. He knew that Dean was caught in the middle of his indecision. The way he acted was different from the things he said, and it confused Castiel greatly. He had a lot to learn about humans if this was the normal process.

Balthazar leaned against a tall wooden crate. "I don't see what's so damned interesting about that human anyway. He's all stupid bravado and course language."

"That's because you're jealous," Gabriel smiled. He wandered around the large room of the warehouse, dragging his hand over whatever he came across. The no- touching rule never applied to bored archangels.

The club owner cast Gabriel a cold look, more harmless than anything else. Castiel gave the statement some thought. There were many reasons why Dean Winchester was 'special'. He had many thoughts on the matter. However, he didn't think he could properly express most of them, and this was hardly the place for such things. He gave a little half- smile nonetheless.

Gabriel glanced at his brother, looking absolutely delighted at the Castiel- version of a smile he found there. "You two are like high school, it's kinda adorable sometimes. In that sickening kinda way, of course."

"The important question is whether you'll go to separate colleges or not," Balthazar pointed out.

"I don't see what education has to do with any of this…"

"It's a metaphor, Cas. Or a simile. I always get those two mixed up…" Gabriel paused in thought, before shaking his head. "Anyway, the point is, what he means is that the most important thing is what you plan to do after we get out of Purgatory."

Castiel arched a brow. "I thought that much was obvious. I'll return to Heaven."

The other two angels just stared at him.

"That's it?" the brunette looked exasperated. "After all that's happened, you're just gonna fly back upstairs?"

"What other option do I have?"

"Stay on Earth with your human!" Balthazar threw up his hands. "I cannot believe that you can be this dense!"

Castiel stopped to think about that. He was learning so much about humans in his time with the Winchesters. It was fascinating. There was much more he could learn by following Dean back to Earth instead of returning to Heaven. Moreover, he wouldn't have to be separated from the hunter. And as much as Castiel loved Heaven, there was a sense of rightness he felt around Dean. Like he actually belonged there. It made him feel content. It made him FEEL.

There were a few problems with this option, however.

"It wouldn't be right."

"Why not?" the archangel frowned at him poking at a machine that had far too many blades on it to be anywhere near Gabriel's curious nature, functional or not.

Because he was scared. Because he didn't know what happened to angels on Earth. Because once he stayed, he didn't know if he'd be allowed back to Heaven later on. Because he only knew how to badly pass for a human.

"Because I haven't been invited."

"Of all the stupid reasons…" Balthazar sighed, rubbing his temple as if dealing with a very difficult child. Which, in this case, probably wasn't far from the truth. "You don't need to be invited to stay on Earth, Cassy."

"I do if I am to stay with Dean," Castiel explained. "And I don't want to stay on my own. Therefore, unless he asks, I won't push the option on him. I don't want to be a burden for him. However, if he wanted me to stay with him, I would. I would do anything he asked of me."

"I think I'm going to be sick," the blonde angel muttered.

Gabriel just shook his head. Cupid did this all the time, this matchmaking thing, and the archangel didn't see how the cherub could manage it. This was his first try, with an angel he knew better than most, and he was going to kill them both before this was over.

He was about to tell his brother exactly what he thought of this self- sacrificing line of thought, but he was stopped when Balthazar suddenly pushed himself off the crate he'd been leaning on. Both angels watched as the club owner straightened to his full height, looking dead serious for once.

It was kind of weird.

Obviously, it was business time. They were still alone in the warehouse, but Gabriel could make out the presence of another angel. Another archangel, to be exact. He left the machines he had been toying with, joining Balthazar and Castiel in the room's center.

There was a sound of feathers, the normal fanfare that accompanied angels popping into existence. Or at least angels that didn't have to worry about conserving their Grace. Gabriel frowned, finding himself suddenly jealous. He didn't have much time to play the green- eyed monster though, since within the next few seconds, they weren't alone anymore.

Three more angels stood in front of them, almost symmetrical. Two of them were archangels, Gabriel could sense that much, even if he didn't already know them. The third was an angel, and wouldn't have much power in Purgatory, but he hadn't been there long enough to experience the Grace drain that Castiel and Balthazar had. And the archangels would be at normal power levels for a while.

In short, if this didn't go right, they were fucked.

The first angel was the largest of them, standing tall and confident in his angel- issue dark suit. He wasn't tense like the others. He seemed to be the type that knew how little people would mess with someone like him. He was comfortable. Uriel.

On the other side was Raphael. He was smaller, more agile than Uriel. It was also obvious that he didn't spend as much time in a human vessel than his brothers. He was stiff and tense, as if he didn't know what to expect. If he hadn't had his Grace backing him up, Gabriel probably could have counted on him having trouble fighting on unfamiliar terms. Too bad his luck wasn't that great.

In the middle was Michael, the only one in the new group not wearing a suit. He was dressed casually, in worn cargo pants and a t- shirt. Even in the guise of a human teenager, he didn't look any less dangerous.

Michael arched a brow. "Gabriel. So this is where you've been hiding."

"Wherever you'd least suspect," he shrugged, trying to keep his tone light.

"I couldn't think of a more fitting place for you to waste away in," Raphael hissed, eyes narrowed. "Abandoning us for a planet of useless humans."

Beside him, Castiel growled quietly in his throat. Gabriel grabbed him by the sleeve.

Fortunately, Balthazar stepped forward, cutting off the beginnings of an argument. "Now now, kids. Play nice. I thought we had a deal to make."

Michael held up a hand, and Raphael fell silent. It didn't stop him from glaring at the shorter archangel. "You were looking for the sword I currently have in my possession."

"Right," Balthazar nodded, ready to talk business. Besides running a club, and living a fabulous swinging lifestyle, it was the best thing he was good at. The angelic version of a crossroads demon, almost. "We're going to do a little cleaning up around here, and we need to borrow your sword to take out some trash."

The quiet archangel tilted his head, obviously curious. "Who else is here? It can't just be any demon, if you need something as powerful as the sword to take them down."

"Funny thing about that," Gabriel spoke up again, leaning his weight on one leg. "Seems like Luci's set up shop around here, and the normal methods aren't quite convincing him it's not good real estate."

"Lucifer is here?" the teen's eyes widened. "How did this happen? He's supposed to be banished to Hell."

"Obviously you didn't do a good enough job the first time…" he quipped.

Raphael moved to grab hold of the other's jacket. Probably give him a good shaking. Or stabbing. Gabriel wasn't sure which at this point. But Michael stopped him once again. Although he didn't look happy.

Not that Michael ever looked happy. But whatever.

"We request to borrow the sword so that we can overthrow Lucifer from Purgatory. With our Grace being limited by Purgatory's restraints, we can't hope to stop him without it." Castiel spoke up, tone neutral, equal parts efficient and respectful.

This was why Balthazar wanted to bring him along. Castiel had a way with diplomacy. And he'd been in Heaven the most recent out of the three of them. He knew how to speak to the higher crowd. It made things go a lot smoother, having someone trustworthy around. Making Dean a jealous pouty mess was just a bonus.

"Castiel," Uriel finally spoke up, deep voice rumbling despite the small smile on his face. "I knew you'd find him."

Castiel nodded. "It's been very… enlightening."

Michael didn't seem interested in conversational trivialities. "You want me to give you the sword. Who will be wielding it?"

Castiel paused. They hadn't discussed that part of the plan. They hadn't thought to. He supposed it was just assumed that Dean would. But somehow, he didn't think Michael would be too happy knowing that his sword was going in a human's hands. He quickly decided on an answer that wouldn't be met with outright refusal.

"Who would you choose to wield it?"

Gabriel's lips quirked up in a smile. Good answer.

Michael looked at them each in turn, scrutinizing them to the point of being vaguely uncomfortable. Finally, he replied. "I'm assuming that you'd rather leave most of Purgatory intact, and that's why you haven't asked me for any help beyond my lending out the sword?"

Castiel nodded.

The archangel looked almost amused for a moment. It passed just as quickly. "I will lend it to you. I'll put no restrictions on who uses it, so long as it isn't a demon. But I expect one thing in return."

"And that is?" Balthazar prompted, waiting to hear the condition that would make or break the deal. He hated dealing with angels in bargains. They didn't accept terms graciously.

"You will defeat Lucifer. And you will return him to me."

"Send him back to Heaven? Why the hell would you want that?" Gabriel made a face. Of all the insane things…

"My reasons are my own, and do not need to be explained to you," Michael replied with a finality. He outranked each of them, and they all knew it. "If you feel you cannot abide by the condition, then you'll have to find some other way."

"We agree," Castiel said quickly. "We accept the terms. There is no other way."

Michael nodded. Gabriel caught the largest angel looking Castiel's way again, smiling in an almost proud way. There was a bright flash of light, light that would have rendered them blind, had they not been angels. The light came together in one strip, concentrating itself in Castiel's arms. He held out his hands and when the light faded, there was a sword in its place, glinting steel and sharp edges.

"I expect to hear from you shortly." Michael said curtly, authoritative, before glancing at the angels on either side of him. "Let us return."

The three were gone in another ruffle of feather noises.

"Well, that was actually easier than I expected," Balthazar hummed, studying their prize.

"I'm just glad no one seemed to want to take me back," Gabriel said with a chuckle. "I thought Raph was gonna go ballistic or something…"

"We should return quickly. We need to strike while we have the element of surprise." Castiel turned to leave the warehouse, only to stop short as someone blocked the doorway.

"You're not going anywhere with that thing."

Castiel's eyes widened in surprise. "Sam?"

The younger Winchester brother stepped inside the warehouse, watching them all carefully. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion and his knife was drawn at the ready. "Don't even pretend that you know me. Just because you can read Cas's thoughts doesn't mean you know the first thing about me."

Gabriel stared at him, his face scrunched up in confusion. "Not that we're not happy to see you, kiddo… but did you hit your head or something while you were gone? You're not making a bit of sense."

Sam stepped closer, his pace even and cautious, as if he expected to be attacked at any moment. "Just drop the sword."

"Are you insane?" Balthazar crossed his arms. He'd only seen this human once before, but he knew they were all supposed to be on the same side. Or at least as far on a side as Balthazar got. "We've just got the very thing that'll end this and you want to take it? What are you going to do with it?"

"It doesn't matter," his grip tightened on the knife handle. "I just can't let you do what you were planning with it."

Castiel tilted his head. "Sam, what do you think we were going to do with this? We're going to take it back to Dean. He'll be the one to use it."

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Sam's eyes darted off them for a few seconds, looking around. Almost like he was waiting on someone else to pop in unannounced. "My brother wouldn't have anything to do with your plans. And he'll be the one to take care of you. You definitely chose the wrong angel to parade around as. I'm sure he's majorly pissed off at you."

"What are you talking about?"

Sam didn't answer this time, only darted forward faster than someone his size should be able to manage. Balthazar reached out to push him away, but Sam ducked back in the nick of time, dropping to the floor and kicking a leg out, knocking the angel's legs out from under him. Balthazar fell back with a surprised noise. The hunter wasted no time in knocking the sword from Castiel's hands. It clattered to the floor away from them.

"Sam!" Castiel jumped, pushing past him to get to the sword. He didn't know what was wrong with the human, but he couldn't lose that sword at any cost.

Sam grabbed him by the back of the coat, yanking him backwards. He went crashing into Balthazar, who'd just started to get to his feet. The hunter reached for the discarded sword.

"See? There's no way you can pass for actual angels. Just things using their faces. You'd never have the powers they would." He growled, picking up the weapon from the stone floor. "You'd better hope you haven't done anything to hurt them, or getting killed'll be the least of your worries!"

Gabriel launched himself at the human's back, trying to knock him over. Not one of his better ideas; although Sam did stumble a bit. He latched on, arms tight around the hunter's neck. "Sammy, cut it out! What's wrong with you?"

Sam struggled, managing to throw the archangel off him after a few tries. He landed in the pile with the other two. Holding the sword close, he glared at them, like he wished his anger alone could make them all burst into flames. That might have very well been the case.

"Sam wait!" Castiel pushed Gabriel off of him, trying to get up.

But the younger Winchester was gone, taking off into a run and darting out of the warehouse with their only hope of defeating Lucifer.


	22. Hole in the Sky

Chapter Twenty- Two: Hole in the Sky ((Akira Yamaoka))

"Okay, okay… so explain this to me again," Dean rubbed his temples tiredly. He had the mother of all headaches right now, and what the angels were telling him was not helping at all.

Gabriel huffed. "How hard is it to understand? Your Sasquatch of a brother burst in and stole the sword from us!"

The four of them sat along the bar at Balthazar's club, once the angel mission had returned. The owner was behind the bar, getting everything ready for the night's opening in a few hours. He frowned, stacking a few rounds of glasses.

"You must've seen it wrong. It couldn't have been Sammy."

"Dean," Castiel set a hand on his arm, comfortingly. "It was definitely your brother. We all saw it."

He shook his head, face set. "It wasn't him. Sam is with Lucifer. I don't think you can get away from the devil unless he lets you go. And even if he did manage to get out, he'd come back and find us. Not mess up our only plan."

"There's always possession," Crowley said quietly, fingers tracing the bar in thought. "Luci could have put a demon in your brother's head. That would explain pretty much everything. Hell, if he liked him so much, he might have traded his own model in for an upgrade."

Dean looked at the demon, about five seconds from lunging over the bar and killing him for even suggesting such a thing. Crowley supposed he probably would have, if not for the angel's hand on him.

"I'm not sure," Castiel chewed at his lip, tightening his grip on the hunter's arm a bit. "Sam seemed to be himself. He seemed to think we were betraying him, rather than the opposite."

Dean turned his attention back to the angel, ignoring Crowley completely. "What do you mean?"

"It's like… he knew who we were, but he thought we were someone else at the same time." Castiel frowned, trying to find a way to explain the odd conversation they'd had with Sam in the warehouse. "Like we were something that just happened to look like us."

"Like Shapeshifters or something?" the hunter ran his free hand through his hair. It didn't make any sense, but that's what it sounded like Castiel was talking about. The only thing Dean could think of that Sam would mistake them for, walking around looking like the angels he knew.

"I… perhaps?"

"Why would he think we were something like that?" Gabriel rested his chin on his arms. "I think he was playing us. Luci must have something possessing him, like Crowley said."

Dean was trying very hard to ignore them. Otherwise, he was going to punch them.

"Did he look okay, when you saw him?" he tried instead. "I mean, was he hurt or anything?"

Balthazar snorted, shutting the cooler door he was restocking. "He basically took the three of us down; I don't think you have anything to worry about there."

"He didn't seem to have any new power either," Castiel continued. "If he were being possessed, then he would have had demon powers at his disposal. And he seemed to think we would have our Grace back."

"This is all kinds of confusing," the archangel huffed, slumping over the bar. "He's not dead, at least. That's the good news. Now if we could just figure out what Luci did to him."

Dean made up his mind. "We're leaving tomorrow."

The others stared at him, curiosity evident.

"Where?" Castiel was the one to speak up.

"We're going to find Lucifer."

Crowley scowled. "Don't be daft. Without the sword, we don't stand a chance. We'll be walking right into certain doom."

"We're gonna assume that for some reason, Sammy's under Satan's control right now," he hated to admit it, but it was the most likely option. He knew Sam had put up a fight, and that was the only reassurance he could give himself at this point. "So by that most likely assumption, Luci's got the sword now. We get in, we take the sword from wherever he's got it stashed, and we use it. Take care of Luci and Sam'll be back to normal. Then we continue on with our regularly scheduled fighting program."

No one said anything. They all knew how incredibly stupid this plan was. There were too many variables. Variables that could get them all killed in a very bloody mess. However, it was the closest thing to a working idea they had, and they couldn't just do nothing.

Finally, Balthazar sighed. "Well if you all are off to get yourselves killed in a blaze of glory, then I suppose drinks are on the house."

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Castiel watched as Dean pushed the door open to their hotel room, shoulders slumped. He was drunk, the angel knew, and he couldn't really blame him. The hunter had explained to him, the first night they were at Balthazar's club, the effects that alcohol had on human senses. It numbed the pain he must be feeling, at least for awhile. Normally, he would protest this, that it didn't solve anything, but Dean looked miserable.

He was leading them all to their deaths tomorrow. His brother was under a fallen angel's control, and there was a good chance they wouldn't be able to save him either. Castiel figured he could allow Dean a little comfort where he could find it.

Castiel sat on the edge of the bed, staring at him. The human wasn't focusing on anything, just staring off to one side. He was swaying a bit, balance dampened by his inebriation.

"You should sit down," the angel said quietly. "You're going to fall."

"Already fallin'," he slurred in reply, the edge of his mouth quirking up in a humorless smile. "S'okay though… got you…"

Castiel frowned, confusion evident on his face. He opened his mouth to ask what exactly Dean meant by that, but found the words trapped as another mouth pressed against his. Dean pressed closer, leaning his weight against the angel and pushed him back. Castiel kissed back, his hands reaching to hold on to the hunter's shoulders. This was different from the time in Chuck's spell circle. There was desperation there, the same as there had been before, but it was evenly matched this time. Dean tasted like the bitterness of the beer he'd been drinking all night. Castiel found it somehow fitting.

He found himself on his back on the bed, with the human slumped over him, knees on either side of his waist. Dean kissed Castiel hard, and he returned it with the same intensity. There were hands in the angel's hair, twisting and tugging in a way that should be painful, but had an altogether different reaction this time. It made his heart beat faster, made everything seem more important. Heat prickled at his skin and it made him squirm.

Fingers were fumbling along the buttons of his shirt, their usual deftness disappearing under the blaze of alcohol and urgency. Castiel's hands tightened on the other's shoulders, accidentally biting at his lip in his nervousness. This only served to fuel the human on, growling a noise into the kiss that made Castiel shudder.

The kiss was broken, and the angel panted for breath, Dean's name slipping out somewhere in between. Dean slid down, and Castiel's hands replaced themselves in the short strands of the other's hair, fingers tightening without him telling them to. The hunter's mouth traced a hot line down Castiel's chest, dragging a noise out of him as his back arched, pressing him closer to the source. He continued his descent, stopping only when he reached the waist of the angel's dark slacks. He glanced up at the other, green eyes that should have been dulled by the alcohol now blazing with something else.

"Cas?"

Castiel whimpered, biting hard at his lip as he met the gaze.

"Hey, Cas…"

He swallowed thickly, trying to make his voice work for words instead of just noises. "W- What?"

"Wake up…"

This confused him, and suddenly he was opening his eyes. He stared into the same intense green as before, this time above him and looking tired. Tired and slightly concerned.

"Dean…?"

The worry edged off a bit, and the hunter offered a small smile. "You with me now?"

He nodded, still unsure what exactly happened. Dean leaned back, giving him room to sit up. The angel's face was hot as he curled up in the blankets, drawing his knees up to his chest. "What happened?"

"You were dreaming again," Dean replied, studying him to be sure he was alright. "Another nightmare, I guess. You were making all kinds of noises and squirming around. You didn't kick me this time though, so that's a bonus."

"Oh." Castiel looked uncomfortable, tense and unnerved. "You're not drunk."

Dean chuckled quietly, only a hint of the normal humor there. "Of course I'm not. Tomorrow's too important for me to try dealing with a hangover. Was I drunk in your dream?"

Castiel twisted the sheets in his fingers, staring intently at them. He nodded.

"What happened?" He hated to think he might have done something to upset the angel, even in a dream. Castiel's face turned a shade redder, and Dean almost laughed at it. A blushing angel.

And then something clicked in his head. Castiel had dreamed about them.

"Oh."

Castiel stared at him as realization washed over his features. His own face warmed a bit, and the situation suddenly got a hell of a lot more awkward. He looked like he wanted to bolt from the room, and probably would if given the slightest provocation. Dean reached out slowly, not wanting to scare him, and set a hand on the angel's arm.

The touch broke the tense stillness, and Castiel pressed forward before either of them knew what was happening. The kiss wasn't as hard as before, it lacked the sharp bite of teeth and desperation. This was something softer, more relieved. Dean let it happen, pressed back into it and responded.

Castiel pulled away far too early for his liking, but didn't go far, breathing against his mouth and staring at the other sharply.

"I apologize."

Dean licked his lips and watched the angel slowly remove himself from his personal space. This was bad. This was worse than he'd thought it was, and even though he'd tried to stop it before, it kept coming back. They were going to have to deal with this. And what better time than the night before the most important battle they could ever fight?

Dean cleared his throat, suddenly finding his mouth too dry for words. "Okay, this is probably gonna be the most awkward conversation I've ever had."

Castiel stared at him, careful not to move any closer to the hunter than he already was. If he got any closer, he was going to kiss him again. And he was fairly certain that was one of the things Dean wasn't ready to 'deal with', as he'd said the previous morning. It was bad enough he'd already done it once already.

"I'm not sure what exactly this all is," he continued, rubbing his face tiredly. He leaned against the headboard, knees pulled up and resting his arms over them. He looked a lot more comfortable than he felt. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I can guess what's going on, you'd have to be pretty damned oblivious not to. But this kinda thing is new to me. There is so much wrong with this, I don't even know where to start."

The angel cast his gaze down. Dean winced.

"Shit, that came out wrong. There's nothing really WRONG with it, it's just a completely new type of weird. But still, I'm not…" he gestured uselessly. "I'm not really against it. It'll take a hell of a lot of getting used to, and I'll probably screw all kinds of stuff up in the process, but if you wanna take a shot, I can't really say I'd refuse to try it out."

Castiel was staring at him again. That weird angel type of staring that felt like he was being looked through and studied deep down. He probably was.

"So, I know we've got a lot to focus on tomorrow, but after all this…" He didn't mention the fact that they might not make it through, he didn't have to. He might as well give optimism a try at this point. "I dunno if you wanted to, but, if you ever need a break from Heaven, you're welcome to come hang around on Earth with me."

He would miss the angel when they parted ways. But he wasn't going to keep Castiel from his home. That would be selfish in a way he didn't ever want to be. He briefly thought of Crowley, knowing that Gabriel was staying for his sake and not caring.

Castiel's reply was quiet, so much that he almost missed it among his thoughts. But he smiled, and that knocked all thoughts of archangels and demons out of his head. Castiel smiled, and it wasn't one of his tiny half- smiles, but a real one, a genuine one that made his eyes brighten.

"I'd like that."

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When Sam woke up the next time, he expected to see his room again, familiar and comforting. This wasn't the case. He blinked his eyes open, sitting up. He was in a motel room, all white bland walls and stiff blankets, one of thousands he'd stayed in. Waking up in a motel wasn't a surprising occurrence with the Winchesters.

He remembered Shapeshifters. He remembered an abandoned warehouse, and three of them looking like angels. They tried to use a sword in some kind of ritual, and Sam stopped them. Dean left him to make sure the sword was out of their reach, and his brother had promised to take care of the shifters themselves.

Where was Dean now? He was alone in the room. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, getting to his feet. He didn't remember checking into a motel. A quick look around told him that a few of their bags were in the room. Only his. Not his brother's. Something like a white towel stuck out from the top of one of the bags, but he paid it no mind. There were more pressing matters to attend to than why he seemed to be stealing motel towels.

So he was alone, in a strange motel he didn't remember checking into, without his brother. Nothing about this was okay. He started pacing around the room, looking in dresser drawers and under blankets. The room was completely empty, as if no one had been staying in it. Not a single personal item to be found.

The sword was gone as well. Sam ran a hand through his hair. Dean would kill him if he lost that sword.

He racked his brain, trying to remember what happened in between leaving the warehouse and waking up. Nothing came to mind. Like he'd just gone straight from there to here. He hadn't gotten hurt, there was no reason he should have blacked out between then.

He reached in his pocket, checking for his cell. He flipped it open, pressing the speed dial button for his brother. Dean would be able to tell him what he wasn't remembering. It was possible that he'd been blindsided after he left, and Dean had brought him here before going back out to finish the job. But something didn't feel right about this. There was a horrible sinking feeling in his chest, and the longer the phone rang, the worse it got. Dean wasn't answering. The voicemail clicked, and he left a quick message before flipping the phone shut, tossing it down on the rumpled bed.

His back was to the door when it opened. He whirled around, hoping to find his brother standing there, probably holding paper bags with breakfast in them. He knew before his eyes reached the doorway that this wasn't going to be the case.

"Sam."

Sam stared, frozen in shock. Lucifer smiled calmly back at him. Finally, his body remembered how to move, and the tall hunter stumbled back. His leg knocked into the edge of the bed in his haste, and he fell, landing on carpet that was nowhere near soft enough to cushion his fall. It hardly registered as he stared up at the devil, refusing to take his eyes off him for even a second.

"What are you doing here?" he managed, voice barely above a surprised whisper.

"Checking up on you, of course," Lucifer chuckled. On anyone else, it would've sounded fond. But this was the devil. It wasn't pleasant. "You're hard to get hold of, Sam. When the two I sent after you never made it back, I knew I'd have to come for you myself. I should have known the direct approach would work best."

So Meg and Ruby had been working for Lucifer. He supposed that made sense. He also knew that they weren't BACK in Purgatory. They'd never left. The whole Shapeshifter case was just a trick. There was a reason everything seemed so weird about it. Because it wasn't really a case. He wasn't helping his brother, he was hindering the angels. He'd walked right into Lucifer's trap.

"What do you want?" Sam hissed. His eyes narrowed, surprise giving way to his hunters' instincts.

"I've already gotten what I want, Sam. I wanted you."


	23. Mercy

Chapter Twenty- Three: Mercy (Red Rhythm Remix) ((Atlanta))

One of the best- known facts about demons was that they lie. Hunters knew this; they came to expect that anything that came out of a demon's mouth was nothing but a lie. Unless the truth hurt more. The only time they told the truth was when it was better than any lie they could come up with.

Despite his flaws, Crowley was still a demon. He came into being just like every other demon that had been created. He just worked a little differently.

He lied, of course. He considered himself rather good at it. It was his experience, though, that usually it helped matters to mix the truth in with the lie. It sped things up a bit, usually. It was easier to believe him when part of what he was saying was true. Hunters were different, of course. They were brought up not to believe you.

Skeptical lot, all those.

The point was, he was good at what he did. And if he wanted to convince Dean Winchester that he didn't care where his pet angel wound up once this insane idea of fighting the devil was over, then that's what he'd do.

It was easier to convince everyone else of lies. Making himself believe them was quite a bit more difficult.

This wasn't to say he was going to make a big deal about it. That much was true. It was Gabriel's choice to do what he did. And if there was one thing Gabriel did best, it was ignoring everyone and doing what he wanted to do. He defied Heaven, Earth and Purgatory by the day, and most times, he came out laughing.

Still, he knew what Gabriel wanted. He wasn't an idiot. He knew before the archangel had even asked him. The archangel's place might have been on Heaven, but his heart remained on Earth. Yet here he was in Purgatory, chasing after a demon he had no business being with. And if Crowley had any heart whatsoever, he'd give up this insane mission of his and go back to Earth, because Gabriel wanted him to.

But he was a demon, and hearts are the first thing they give up.

He must have been defective. He'd told Dean as much as a joke, but there were times he truly believed it. Because he was a demon, yet he was helping a bunch of humans and angels overthrow the very person who created demons in the first place. It was almost like patricide. Most demons wouldn't have given a thought to working with humans when possessing them makes them so much more compliant. No pesky decisions to be made. Most demons wouldn't go within three feet of an angel if they could help it.

And yet, here he was, being friendly with the humans, and shagging an archangel.

Crowley was different from most demons.

Said archangel stirred, curling closer. He was already half atop the demon, and seemed to be intent to lay on him completely. Gabriel got clingy in his sleep.

There was going to be a choice to make soon. Crowley wasn't stupid. He knew that their time here was running short. Things like this weren't supposed to happen, and the powers that be usually didn't let those things go on for long.

To be honest, he wasn't really sure how all this came about. It wasn't exactly something he set out to do one day. They just sort of fell into this. It was easy; it was comfortable in a way neither of them had to think about.

So why were things getting difficult now?

Gabriel huffed, blowing warm air against the demon's throat. "Stop thinkin' so hard."

Crowley smirked. "You can't hear my thoughts, so don't start that."

"Can too. Dunno what they're about, but you think so hard I can hear the gears in your head moving." He reached up blindly, refusing to open his eyes, to tap his fingers over Crowley's temple.

"I can't help that you're not used to this much thought being put out," he quipped, fingers tracing the angel's shoulder idly. "Maybe you should practice more."

"Too early for that," Gabriel muttered. He pressed his face into the crook of the other's neck.

There was a question that they weren't asking. They both knew it, and they knew they should really get around to talking about it. They hadn't spoken of it since they'd met up again, in the back seat of the Impala. Which reminded him, they really had to start working on their plan to desecrate that car; time was running out for that one, and Crowley needed to see the look on Dean's face when that happened.

However, he was getting distracted again. It was rather easy around Gabriel.

Gabriel, who was now scraping his teeth along his throat. He shivered.

"We're heading out today," he said quietly. The archangel paused, humming a reply against his neck. "I know it's not really worth asking, but are you going to do something incredibly stupid and reckless while we're there?"

Gabriel smiled. "I think that's a safe assumption by this point."

"Not that I particularly care or anything," he pointedly shrugged. They both knew more often than not that this was complete bullshit. "But the others would be very upset if you managed to get yourself too roughed up. And I don't feel like dealing with their bitching. So be a dear and try to keep the damage to a minimum, yeah angel?"

He snickered softly, tilting his chin to bite at the demon's ear. "I'll think about it."

"How good of you." Fingers toyed with the ends of light brown hair.

"Believe it or not, sometimes I actually act all angelic." He grinned, tilting his head back into the touch.

Crowley snorted. "The amount of cursing you do says otherwise, angel."

Gabriel smirked; all mischief and innuendo, an expression an angel had no business wearing. But on Gabriel, it fit better than any calm reverent smile.

"It doesn't count when it's in bed."

He then proceeded to show the demon exactly how much it didn't count.

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Sam didn't like where this was going at all. To be honest, having a conversation with the devil wasn't a good way to start a day to begin with. And considering the sort of thing he'd been raised around, the bar for weird shit was set pretty high.

Neither of them had moved. Sam was still pressed back against the far wall, tense and ready for an attack. Lucifer was still leaning against the doorway to the hotel room, arms crossed and regarding the human calmly. That was the thing that worried Sam the most. This was Lucifer. He expected blinding rage and dark, evil fury. Not the silent, still thing that always seemed to be watching him. Anger and threats, he could deal with. This was another matter completely.

"Sam," Lucifer tried again, voice soft.

The younger Winchester flinched back, as if hearing Satan use his name physically hurt. "What are you doing here? Where are we? Where's Dean?"

"We're right back in Purgatory," he replied. His voice was light, almost a melodic tilt to it. "And your brother is on his way, actually."

"He's coming here?" Sam frowned. Of course Dean was coming after him. They were brothers. They'd always come after each other, even when it was far beyond the realm of sanity to do so. But the longer he kept Lucifer talking, the less time he had to do other things. Like kill him, for example. Although he supposed the devil could probably multitask.

Lucifer smiled. "You already knew that. You always know that whenever you get into trouble, when you're in over your head, that he'll come for you. He'll risk everything to do so."

He took a step closer, looking no more threatening for it. Sam knew better. The air was thick with something dangerous, something that followed Lucifer like a shield. He might look calm and unassuming, but there was no mistaking what he really was.

"Because you're his precious baby brother."

Sam swallowed thickly. "Don't tell me you're jealous. Just because your family can't get along doesn't mean you've gotta start messing with mine."

Sam Winchester, you are quite possibly the dumbest human being aside from your brother. Stop baiting the devil.

He chuckled, most of the sound dying in his throat. "This isn't about my family. I have no loyalty to them any longer. They had their chance, and they all turned on me. Even Gabriel and Castiel."

"Then what is this about?"

"It's about you and me, Sam."

"So I'm supposed to be okay with this because you've got some kinda weird crush on me?"

His lips curved up into a smile. "It's more of a morbid curiosity. I look at you and I see myself."

Sam pulled a face. "That's hardly a comforting thought."

"I see the spark of rebellion," he stepped closer. Sam would have moved back to compensate, but he was already pressed against the wall. "The fire in you that will always want something more than you're given. To lash out against how you were raised."

Okay, so maybe he had a bit of a point. Sam never asked to be a hunter, that had been their father's idea. And while they took to it like they knew nothing better, there was always that little part of Sam that just wanted to be normal. To have a normal job, one that didn't come with the daily threat of being slashed apart by some creature not of this world. To have normal friends, who knew how to use social networking websites rather than shotguns.

But he'd tried that already. He'd run away from his family and their life to have something normal. And it had eventually come back to bite him in the ass. Once you were in, you stayed in. It wasn't just a job; it was an entirely different mindset. There was no going back once you knew what was out there, what the world was capable of. Sam knew this now, but it didn't stop that nagging feeling of resentment sometimes.

"It doesn't matter," he said eventually, after some time in silence he realized the devil was waiting for a reply. "I've done that before, it didn't work."

"Sam, I'm not trying to tempt you with anything, I'm just making conversation," he took another step closer. There was only a bed's length separating them now.

"You're the devil. Tempting is kinda your MO."

He tipped his head to the side in a thoughtful manner. "I suppose I'll give you that. But I'm not tempting you with some promise of a normal ignorant life. You're too good for that. I'd have to change everything about you, and that would be such a waste."

"Then what exactly are you getting at?"

"We're so very similar, the two of us." He moved again, stepping way closer than Sam was comfortable with. Although considering who he was dealing with, he wouldn't really be comfortable with anything closer than a few states. "But we're also different."

Sam narrowed his eyes, studying the other. He tried to stay a jump ahead in the thought process, to see what Lucifer was getting at. He was the smarter Winchester for a reason, dammit, and he needed to act like it. "Because of family?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes. Your brother, in particular."

"What's Dean got to do with this?" He tensed again. For a moment, he worried when he had started to relax.

"The two of you have a bond that's stronger than most siblings. You're dependant on each other, and you can't live without each other. It's strange."

He scowled. "You're talking to me about MY family being strange?"

Lucifer gave him another amused smile, finally closing the remaining distance. Sam moved to duck out of the way, to put some space between them, but Lucifer reached out, cupping Sam's face in his hands. He couldn't move. All he could do was stare at the devil with wide eyes.

"He's fiercely protective of you. It makes him do stupid, reckless things. But he always comes through for you when it counts, doesn't he?"

Sam managed a nod.

"It bothers you, doesn't it? He'll always think of you as his little baby brother. Someone that needs protecting and saving. He'd sacrifice everything for you without even thinking. And you hate it. He'll save you, no matter the cost, but won't ever let you do the same. You want to protect him just as much as he protects you, but you're never given the chance. He wouldn't want to put his baby brother in danger for his own sake."

Sam stared at him. He didn't say anything, but Lucifer knew. The devil was smiling again, almost fondly. His fingers tapped lightly on the hunter's cheeks.

"You can save him this time, Sam."

He was pretty sure at this point that if Lucifer weren't holding onto him, he'd have slid to the floor. His legs felt like they wouldn't hold him any longer, and there was no disguising the faint tremble in his hands.

"I'm not making any deals with you…"

Lucifer chuckled, low and soft. "I wouldn't expect you to. You're too smart for that. You know better. I'm not offering you a deal, Sam. It's more of an exchange of favors."

"That's the same thing."

"Is it?" The devil tilted his head, leaning forward. His next words were whispered in the human's ear.

"Help me do one thing, and I'll send him home. You can save him. Protect your brother for once, for all the times he's protected you."

His shaking hands clenched into fists at his side, steeling himself as he shut his eyes.

"What do you want me to do?"

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Dean was going to murder the both of them.

He curled over his coffee, glaring at the table as if it were the source of his problems, and not the demon and archangel in the room beside them. There were certain things he didn't need to know throughout the course of his life. And the fact that Gabriel was just as loud during sex as he was in every other moment of his waking life was one of those things.

Castiel sat across from him, chewing on one of the leftover donuts from yesterday's breakfast. He'd taken a liking to the chocolate ones, even if he still couldn't look at the jelly ones without heat rising to his face for some reason. After last night's dream, he was starting to realize exactly why that was.

"How is this not bothering you?" Dean growled, gesturing to the wall that connected their two rooms.

As if on cue, a muffled moan cut through any hope of silence. Dean glared at the wall.

Castiel shrugged. "I suppose I don't have the sort of human instinct that makes this sort of thing uncomfortable."

"I thought religion was against all this free love stuff. Gotta be married and pumping out kids or something."

"It was important, for the time it was written. Things have changed since then."

Dean reached past him, snagging the last jelly donut from the box. Castiel pointedly looked away.

"Guess so. Since your dad seems to be pretty okay with his angel kids banging demons now."

Castiel smiled, fingers wrapped around the warmth of his coffee cup. "He wouldn't have made it possible if He really didn't want it to happen."

The hunter made a thoughtful noise. "Suppose that kinda makes sense."

There was another moan, and Dean threw his boot at the wall. The angel stared at him.

"I'll admit, Gabriel might be a little… over- enthusiastic."

"That's kind of an understatement in this case." He stood up. "C'mon, let's go."

Castiel cocked his head to the side. "Go where?"

He shrugged. "Out. Anywhere. This is like watching porn at a family reunion. Let's go get breakfast."

"But we just ate."

"A donut isn't real breakfast. Besides, at the rate things are going, he's about to start screaming, and I really don't wanna be here for that." Dean grabbed his keys from the nightstand. "We'll get some pie or something."

Castiel smiled, getting up from his seat. True enough, the noises were getting louder. He was beginning to see why they made Dean so uncomfortable. It was supposed to be a private moment, not something that the rest of them should be hearing. But more importantly, the noises he heard from the next room made him curious. He wondered what sort of actions prompted noises like that. He knew the general workings of sex, of course. He might be an angel, but he'd spent enough time around humans to know how that sort of thing worked. But knowing was different from experiencing. He knew humans had to eat, but it was completely different from how it felt when trying chocolate for the first time. He supposed this was the same thing.

Even worse was the next thought that came to mind. He wondered not only about what it would be like to make the noises he was hearing, but what it would take to get Dean to make those noises. Hearing how those sounds would be different when they came from the human. What it would take to make him moan like that, and know that it was because of him.

"Cas?"

The angel jolted from his thoughts, face red. Dean was at the doorway, staring at him expectantly. He quickly bit down on his lip, hurrying past the hunter and out the door toward the Impala. Dean was right. Thinking what he thought now, there was no way he could stay in the room with those sounds any longer. It made him squirm just thinking about it.

Besides. Pie was good. And watching Dean get almost giddy in explaining the wonders of the baked good was even better.


	24. Take Me Away

Chapter Twenty- Four: Take Me Away ((Globus))

They set off early that morning.

The car was quiet. Even when Dean popped a tape in the player, there was still a silence thick in the air. There was none of the usual banter, not even from Gabriel. They knew what they were going up against, and no one was looking forward to it. The odds weren't that good that they'd even finish this job, or even live through it. People didn't just fight the devil and walk away. Unless you were playing some kind of stringed instrument, but Dean didn't think that really counted.

Finally, Dean decided if no one was going to talk to lighten the mood, he'd talk to help them out. "Okay. We've got the weapon part down. All we need to do is find it. What do we know about the enemy?"

Gabriel leveled him with a deadpan stare. Which would be impressive if Dean weren't watching the road. But his tone was obviously matched. "He's the freaking devil?"

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," the hunter rolled his eyes. "I mean, I'm trying to think of this as a hunt. So what's the strengths, weaknesses, all that. You're his brother, you should know."

"He doesn't have any weaknesses, Dean, this isn't some werewolf you can just hack with something until it dies," the archangel sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Everything's got a weakness."

Crowley pressed his forehead against the window. "Well, your little demon knife didn't do anything to him but amuse him, so I rule out any demon weaknesses."

Dean frowned. "It's like he got all the good parts and none of the bad…"

"Precisely what it is," Castiel replied. "He has the demons' power in a world where they have the most power. But at the same time, he's an angel, and cannot be killed by normal methods."

"So, is there any other way to gank this guy, without using the sword?"

"I think Michael's sword is our only chance for the time being," the angel picked at his sleeve. It was a very human gesture, and Dean thought it was a bit odd coming from him.

"Okay, so here's the plan. We're gonna try to sneak in as best we can. Surprise always works, and that'll give us time to find the sword before having to deal with Luci. Me and Cas will look for that. Gabe, you and Crowley are in charge of finding Sam and getting him the hell out of there. Got it?"

For once, Gabriel didn't argue. Dean was glad for it. He wanted to be the one to look for his brother; he wanted to find him before anything else happened. It was in his nature to look after his brother, and that included saving him from things on occasion. But he knew that he was the one that had to use the sword, so it would make things better in the long run to have it in hand as soon as possible. So, as much as he hated to, he'd have to leave his brother's rescue up to an archangel and a demon.

He supposed there were worse people to leave Sam's fate up to.

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Whatever Dean expected upon arriving to the hotel Lilith had given them, it wasn't this. He thought, for some reason, that Lucifer would have a grand suite somewhere, living it up. Decadence and iniquity and all that. Maybe that was just Crowley's lifestyle.

What they came to was a tall brick building on the corner of the street. It looked thinner than it had any business being, like they'd build it strangely to fit on that corner. It looked like it hadn't been used in years. None of the lights were on, including the sign announcing vacancies. At least half, if not more, of the windows were broken, and the red brick was covered in more than its' share of graffiti.

Seemed like Lucifer was pretty low maintenance.

Dean parked the Impala a few blocks away. As much as he loved his baby, he knew how loud she was, and how distinctive that particular engine noise could be. He killed the engine, and then turned in his seat. Three sets of eyes stared back at him.

"If you're expecting some kind of pep talk, that's not my thing," he said finally, the barest hint of a smirk on his features.

Crowley shrugged. "I've always liked a straight and simple, 'let's go kill shit'."

Castiel tilted his head. "I believe I read it somewhere, something that said 'Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do or die.' Does that help?"

"Not especially, Cas. That's kind of a bummer."

"Oh."

The look on the angel's face made him chuckle. Which he figured was good enough for any pep talk.

He took a deep breath, letting it out in a harsh exhale. "Alright. Let's get this over with."

They left the car after grabbing what they needed from the trunk. The salt rounds and Holy Water might not mean much in the face of Satan himself, but he was sure to have demons backing him up. And the faster they dealt with them, the less chance they had to get overwhelmed before they even reached Lucifer. Not to mention that going in there empty- handed went against every fiber of his being.

Once they reached the hotel, they split up. Gabriel and Crowley circled around the back to the staff entrance, while Dean and Castiel went up the fire escape. Lucifer could be anywhere in the hotel, and starting from either end would help them work faster. He also thought that the devil would take the top floor, but that was just a guess.

Crowley and Gabriel made it to the kitchen before they were found out. There weren't many of them; it was still early morning, after all. Probably about ten or twelve demons. They'd been eating in the kitchen when the archangel and demon had walked through, trying to get to the rooms to begin their search for Sam.

One of them glanced up at the noise, eyes flicking to dark black as he spotted the pair. The demons stopped what they were doing, moving to block their path.

"Well crap," the archangel frowned, holding up the water bottle of Holy Water. "There goes our sneak attack."

Crowley took a step closer to the other, eyes scanning their opposition in a calculating manner. "Gonna be alright, angel?"

He nodded. "Just don't make me use up all my juice trying to save you. We need that for Luci."

"Think I can manage that. You can still do your exorcism thing, right? Without blasting me in the process?"

"Yeah," he unscrewed the cap. "You hold 'em and I'll take care of the hard part."

Crowley nodded, flinging his hand out. The demon closest to them went sailing through the air. This seemed to spur the rest of them into attack. Gabriel doused the next one with Holy Water, careful to keep the liquid away from his demon. The enemy demon let out a yell, skin burning painfully as she fell back. Gabriel started muttering quickly in Latin, reaching to grab the stunned demon's arm. He finished the spell and the woman fell back, a heap on the floor.

He moved on to the next, using the water to disorient them before taking them out with the spell. Crowley spent his time backing the angel up, flinging away any demon that got too close. It was slower than they would have liked, but with only the pair of them, it was the best they could manage. Crowley couldn't use any of Dean's demon- hunting equipment without hurting himself in the process, and Gabriel needed to concentrate to use his spell. He also needed to have hands- on contact with the demon, or else he risked hitting Crowley by mistake.

It was slow, but it was efficient. Crowley blocked the exit, making sure no one ran off to get reinforcements. They had a job to do, after all. But they walked out unharmed, and with twelve less demons running around the hotel. It was a win in their book.

After checking the kitchen for any sign of the human they were after, they ran down the hall to make up for lost time. It was a daunting task. The hotel was full of rooms, that was the point. And Sam could be in any one of them. They decided to check the basement, since there was less chance of the hunter being able to escape from there.

They checked every room they came across in the lower levels, but there was no sign of the younger Winchester.

They made it to the indoor pool room before the rest of the demons found them.

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Dean and Castiel took the fire escape up to the top level. They were about six floors off the ground, and Dean wasn't taking it too well. It was a bad time for his fear of heights to kick in. His fingers clung to the railing so hard his knuckles turned white, and Castiel quickly guided him inside one of the broken windows.

He was breathing hard by the time they were inside the hotel, and not from over- exertion. Castiel put a comforting hand on his shoulder. He nodded, taking a few more calming breaths, like Sam had always told him to do when this sort of thing came up, before they started down the hall.

Dean started to realize why this place was a very good hiding spot. There were just so many places they had to look. It was a hotel, and all of the rooms were the same. Lucifer could be in any one of them. The sword could even be in a room completely opposite to him. They had nothing to go on but guesses.

They had no other option but to start opening doors at random. Fortunately, the hotel was in such a state of disrepair, that most of the locks were broken. And those that were intact could be easily kicked in. If they could find even a random demon, they could pump them for information. However, the hall was completely devoid of life aside from the two of them.

Castiel neared the stairs when movement caught his eye. The door to the stairs was open, and someone ran through it, heading up. The angel called out to Dean, getting his attention before he followed the runner. The hunter tailed him quickly.

The stairs brought them to the roof. Castiel pushed open the stairwell door, and he was immediately greeted by a gust of wind from outside. He stepped out cautiously, blue eyes scanning the rooftop. It was an open area, aside from ventilation equipment that lined one of the sides. There was no one out here. He moved towards the vents to check behind them.

Dean skidded to a halt at the doorway, eyes wide. "Oh shit… Cas, c'mon, tell me there's nothing out here…" He gripped the wood of the door frame, trying to keep calm.

Castiel shook his head, leaning to look behind the vents. There was no one. "I don't see any-"

He cried out as he was tossed through the air, hitting the vent hard. He dropped to the floor of the rooftop.

"Cas!"

Dean bolted from the doorway, heights be damned. Before he could reach the angel's side, a familiar tall blonde figure flashed into existence between them, shoving Dean back with a hand of demonic power.

"Dean," Lucifer said with a smile, "So good to see you again."

The hunter growled, dangerous in his throat. Behind the devil, Castiel pushed himself up on his arms. Lucifer didn't pay it any mind. "Where's Sam?"

"Did you come all this way for him? To save him? I told him you would."

"Where is he?" Dean yelled again, hand clenched tight on the shotgun at his side and ready to strike.

Lucifer smiled. It almost made Dean shudder. He'd deny it until his dying day. "He's right behind you."

"If you think I'm falling for that…"

"Dean, turn around!" Castiel warned, eyes wide.

Dean obeyed without a second thought. In the doorway was Sam, his little brother, safe and not dead. Dean's shoulders slumped in obvious relief. Then he turned back to Lucifer, his normal bravado in place now that he knew his brother was safe.

"So maybe we'll just collect our angel and get out of here…" He shrugged. They still needed that sword, and if they could make an escape from the roof, it would buy them some time to find it. Not to mention give Crowley and Gabriel some time to catch up. They could really use all the help they could get at this point.

Plus they were still on the roof. He really wanted to be away from the roof.

Lucifer just smiled indulgently, arms crossed over his chest. "Did you think that one was going to work?"

"It was worth a shot, yeah."

Dean glanced back to his brother. Sam hadn't moved from the roof door, and he watched the three of them. The older Winchester took a step back towards him, trying to be as discreet as possible. It wasn't very effective, seeing as the devil was watching their every move.

"Sammy, go find the sword. Me and Cas'll hold him off."

Sam didn't move. He stayed completely still, blocking the doorway. Dean frowned, twisting his head to really look at him.

"Sammy?"

Lucifer chuckled. "I don't think he's feeling quite like himself today."

"I would've thought Satan would have a better sense of humor," Dean said, distracted by his brother's lack of movement.

Sam wasn't moving at all. It was if he wasn't aware of any of them. His arms hung at his sides, and he stared straight ahead. Dean moved closer, concerned about the clouded look in his eyes. He gave the taller hunter's shoulder a light shove.

It was only then that Sam reacted, reaching out with lighting fast reflexes to grab Dean's wrist. His grip was just tight enough to hurt and Dean stepped back on impulse, trying to yank his arm free.

"Sammy, let go, what's goin' on?"

"That's not Sam," Castiel spoke up, getting to his feet. "Not completely."

Lucifer tilted his head, as if just remembering the other angel's presence. "Castiel. Please don't spoil the surprise."

"What'd you do to him?" Dean snapped. He tried to pry his wrist free, but his brother's grip held tight. He couldn't do anything to stop him without hurting him.

Lucifer shrugged. "A bargaining. A trade of helping each other."

"You made a deal?" Dean whipped his head back to stare at Sam. "You made a fucking deal with the devil?"

"Not the sort you're thinking of," he continued. "I wouldn't take his soul. I like him better with it. He just agreed to help me for awhile. To make sure you and your ragtag supernatural party wouldn't be a problem."

"We're a problem to you?" Dean couldn't help but smirk a bit at that. Defiance was his strong point, after all. "Do we put a little of the fear of God in you?"

The devil laughed. "You're hardly one to be mentioning Him to me…"

Dean tried to twist his arm away. Sam retaliated by grabbing his collar with the other hand, turning them quickly to slam him against the wall. Dean coughed as the breath was knocked from his chest.

"So, I'll let Sam take care of you for a bit. You two are so close, I'm sure you've got a bit of anger to take out on each other…" Lucifer grinned, dark and dangerous.

Sam pinned him against the wall, not letting up in the slightest. His hand was tight on the other's collar. Dean looked down, catching sight of something on the inside of his brother's wrist. There were symbols there, which he knew for certain weren't there before. They looked familiar, but he didn't have time to think about it before Sam's other hand slammed against his jaw in fist- form.

Dean's head fell back with the force of it, knocking into the wall with a hiss. Two pains for the price of one. "Sammy, c'mon, don't do this…"

Sam ignored him, pulling back for another punch. Dean caught him by the wrist, blocking it just in time. He shoved back against his brother. Sam had the benefit of a larger frame, but they were evenly matched on strength. They'd fought before, petty arguments that ended with a few punches and maybe a scuffle on the floor. But never like this. Never with full intent to hurt.

He shoved again. Sam stumbled back a step, giving Dean enough room to duck away and free himself from the wall. Sam whirled around to catch him again, but the shorter brother fell back, avoiding his reach.

Dean had to deal with Sam. His brother was going to kill him if he didn't. Lucifer was going to make him do that, and Sam couldn't stop it. But this was his baby brother. He couldn't hurt him. He was going to have to though, because Sam wasn't going to give up, not when he wasn't in control. Determined, he lunged at Sam, catching him by the side and tackling him to the same wall he'd been pinned to moments ago. All he had to do was knock Sam out. They could work on getting rid of this influence later, after they dealt with Lucifer.

Sam's elbow slammed into his back, hard. He grunted in pain, his shoulder dipping with the force of it. A hand grabbed him by the back of the neck, yanking him up and shoving him away. He lost his balance, falling back onto the rooftop.

Castiel let out a pained yell. Dean was up in a second. Shit. How could he forget Castiel was still there with Lucifer? Castiel was back on the rooftop tile, on his knees. The ex- angel had his brother by the hair, twisting his head at painful- looking angles. Castiel grabbed at the other's hand but couldn't dislodge it.

Dean bolted for them. Lucifer was much stronger than all of them, and he didn't think the devil would hesitate just because it was one of his brothers. Lucifer didn't really seem all too happy with his family.

He made it halfway across the roof when Sam slammed into him. Dean was tossed off his course, instead knocking into the roof's cement edge. Panic set in, seeing exactly how high up he was off the ground, and he flailed. This only made things worse, and he lost his balance, falling over the edge with a yell that was completely too high- pitched for being the last thing anyone would hear from him.

And then there was a hand grabbing his arm, holding him up. Castiel was yelling again, this time panicked cries of Dean's name. Lucifer gave him a shake, snapping his head around so fast his neck might break.

Dean reached up with his other hand, grabbing onto the one holding him. Sam leaned over the edge, holding tightly to him. Dean squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying his best not to thrash and hyperventilate. Sam didn't drop him; but he didn't pull him up either. The older Winchester kept a death grip on his brother's arm.

Castiel pulled against Lucifer's grip, trying to get away to help Dean. The devil only yanked harder, and this time his neck protested with a loud pop of the joints creaking.

Lucifer grinned, eyes burning with malicious intent. "Time to show you what Sam asked for in return for helping me."

"No!" Castiel shoved at Lucifer's legs. His brother fell back a step, more out of surprise than the force behind it. The angel pulled free and ran, trench coat flying behind him as he crossed the roof. He had to get to Dean in time-

Sam pried the other hunter's hand off his arm. Dean started squirming at that.

"Sammy, don't!"

Sam let go. Dean stared at his brother, eyes wide in terror as he fell.


	25. Hurry Up and Save Me

Chapter Twenty- Five: Hurry Up and Save Me ((Tiffany Giardina))

Castiel very nearly went over the edge after Dean. This was both accidental and on purpose. He reached out, hoping beyond hope that he could make a grab for the hunter's arm before he was too far down. It didn't work; gravity was too quick and Dean was already gone. But he leaned too far over in his attempts, and lost his own balance when his other arm slipped over the edge. He would have tumbled right over after the human, but a hand grabbed at the back of his coat just in time, yanking him back.

He looked up to see Sam holding him back. But it was Lucifer that spoke.

"We can't have you doing that, Castiel."

His face felt wet. He supposed he was crying. But he was a bit too busy to marvel at human traits and emotions right now. The angel narrowed his eyes, glaring at his brother. "You killed him!"

Lucifer shrugged. "I only did as Sam asked. He wanted his brother out of Purgatory. I did promise after all."

"By making Sam drop him off a building? How could that be in any form what he would have wanted?" Castiel squirmed away, trying to wrench free of Sam's hold on his coat. "You made him kill his own brother, and he couldn't control it! How do you think he's going to take that? You'll destroy him, just like everything else you corrupt!"

The devil took a step closer, his calm exterior sliding away to let a bit of annoyance show. "I did as he asked. He wanted to save his brother from Purgatory, and I did it. It's not my fault he wasn't specific on the details. I upheld my part of our bargain."

Castiel shook his head. He'd felt sadness before, even before Purgatory. But it was a lot more intense when you were mostly human for it. Or maybe that was because he'd just never had a reason to feel this sad before. It hurt his chest, almost as if the reaction were a physical injury. It settled in deep, making his insides twist. Sam released his hold on the angel, but the fight had left him. He slumped back to the tile on his knees, staring at the floor.

Lucifer slowly crossed the distance, coming to stand by his baby brother's side. He looked down at the other angel, almost looking concerned. He brushed a hand through dark hair. "Castiel."

"He's gone…"

Lucifer sighed. He looked up at Sam, who stood unmoving, his face still expressionless even after killing his own brother. "Sam, go find the archangel and the demon. I believe they're in the basement somewhere. Bring them here."

Sam nodded, turning on a heel and walking toward the stairs.

Castiel didn't move, curled in on himself. His eyes were trained pointedly on the tile; if he looked at the roof's edge there was no guarantee he wouldn't try to do something insane. And doing something like follow Dean over the edge wasn't going to do anyone any good. He knew what he had to do. What Dean would have wanted him to do. They still had an important job to do. To defeat Lucifer, and to save Sam. Castiel knew above all that Dean would want his little brother to be safe. And he was gone now. Castiel supposed that he would be the one to care for the younger Winchester at this point. He would do that. Because he cared for Sam as well, and even with his small understanding of human nature, he knew how guilt affected the siblings, especially where each other were concerned. Lucifer had made Sam kill his own brother. Once they freed him from the devil's control, it was going to kill him if someone wasn't there to help him. Castiel couldn't let that happen. Not to Sam. He owed that to both of the brothers.

Lucifer crouched beside him, the calm look returned to his face.

"This was as much a blessing for me as it was for you."

The angel stared up at him, eyes squinting a bit in a confused glance. "How could you say that? How could this be anything good for me? For anyone, save for yourself?"

Lucifer offered a smile, which on anyone else, might have been considered kind. As it was, it only managed to feel dangerously out of place on the devil. He reached out, slowly cupping the smaller angel's face and locking eyes with him.

"I know about this… questionable relationship you had with this human. He was important to you. And while it wasn't my intent, I've done you some good in getting rid of him. Angels aren't supposed to love like that. If you had continued on as you were, it wouldn't have been long before you wound up falling."

Castiel stared at him, eyes impossibly wide and shining. "That can't be true…"

"I'm sorry, but it is." He explained quietly, patiently. "He would have been more important to you than others, and they can't have you playing favorites. Eventually, they would have found out what you were doing. You would have been stripped of your Grace and your powers. You would be forced to remain a human, and die as one."

"But—"

Lucifer shook his head. "No one human is worth that, Castiel, believe me. You're my brother. Even if we haven't exactly seen things the same way, you're still family. And I wouldn't want to see you hurt like that. Not if I could stop it."

Castiel tried to swallow down the lump in his throat. He stared at his brother, pained and uncertain.

"I suppose you're wondering what kind of Heaven would allow that." He smiled in a comforting manner, and if Castiel hadn't been thinking that before, he certainly was now. "Heaven isn't the caring place you thought it was. They love you conditionally. As long as you play by their rules, they'll be there for you. But if you do something they don't like, they'll disown you faster than you can blink."

Castiel frowned. He knew his brothers and sisters loved him. He'd always felt at home in Heaven. But before now, he'd never gone against their rules. He'd never had any reason to disobey. He didn't know if it was actually against the rules to love a particular human. But if what Lucifer said was true, it meant that he was going to find out soon. Or he would have.

The devil's thumbs stroked across his cheeks, comforting. "We're not so different, Castiel. We're both rebellious because of our passion. The reasons might be different, but the feeling is the same. You and I could make quite the formidable team."

"You… you want me to join you?"

"Of course. You're my little brother." Lucifer smiled. "I would be honored to fight by your side."

Castiel shook his head. He looked conflicted, so the devil continued.

"I could bring him back."

The younger angel's breath caught in his throat. "W- What?"

"If that's what you wanted, I could bring the human back. He would be here with you, and you and I could rebel against the place that would keep you apart. You would fall. But with me, you would still have as much power as you had in your ranks as an angel. Possibly even more. You could use it to protect him. And Sam. I would help you."

Would it be worth it? He would have Dean back, alive and safe. Could he go against everything he'd ever known, just for the sake of one human? The one human that taught him the importance of family, of responsibility. That did his best to keep a powerless angel safe when others would have left him like the burden he was. That put up with things that made him uncomfortable, just for Castiel's sake and comfort. That loved teaching him how to be human, and smiled so beautifully whenever he picked up something.

The human that didn't know what exactly the two of them were getting into, but had been ready to jump in anyway, because that's what they wanted.

When he thought about it like that, there wasn't really any other choice. He'd give up everything for Dean. He was special, important, and he had deserved someone who would care about him as much as he cared for those he had been close to. And if Heaven wasn't going to allow this, then he would rebel against them. And it would be worth it.

The uncertainty died away, leaving a fierce determination in his eyes, bright blue burning.

00000000000000

Crowley hissed sharp through his teeth, jerking back as a splash of Holy Water landed on his arm. It sizzled and burned, even through the sleeve of his jacket.

"Dammit, angel, keep that stuff to yourself!"

"S- Sorry!" Gabriel moved away from him, aiming another splash of the water bottle at an advancing demon's face.

The fight wasn't going so well. The pool room was larger, giving them more room to charge at the pair. And there were at least twice the number as they fought in the kitchen. Even with demon powers, Holy Water and exorcisms, they were still getting thrown around by the sheer number.

The archangel dumped the last of his bottle on the nearest demon, grabbing him by the arm to quickly mumble his Latin. Moments later, the demon was gone, and the body slumped to the floor. There were still too many, and now he was out of the water to distract them.

An elbow knocked into his side, shoving him forward with a pained noise. Crowley took care of her, his demon powers flinging her across the room and into the wall. It wasn't doing much damage, but at least it was keeping them at bay.

Of course, they weren't really getting any closer to finding Sam this way. He certainly wasn't in the pool.

Gabriel straightened, rubbing his ribs where he'd been elbowed with a frown. He moved just in time to grab another demon before it reached Crowley, his grip tight on his arm as he muttered the exorcism's words. Another demon dispatched, and another body dropped to the ground. He looked around quickly; it seemed like for every one they dealt with, two more took their place. It was like a demonic hydra.

Crowley huffed out a frustrated noise. "We're never going to get anywhere like this!"

The archangel tossed the empty plastic bottle, smacking a demon in the face. "No shit… what else can we do though?"

"Quiet, angel, Daddy's thinking," he took a step back and stuck his leg out, tripping a demon that charged him.

The demon lost his balance, falling over the other's foot and landing in the pool with a yell. He splashed around, trying to reach the edge and pull himself out. Crowley hummed in thought, frowning at the water.

"Can you make Holy Water?"

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I'm a freaking archangel; of course I can make Holy Water…"

Crowley nodded to the pool. Hazel eyes widened in realization. Gabriel nodded, sidestepping another oncoming demon. He fell to his knees by the pool's edge. Without a second thought, he rolled up his sleeve and dipped his arm in the water. His throat was dry from all the words he'd spoken thus far; it was an unnervingly human reaction that he didn't at all care for. He started to chant the words he needed.

The demon, meanwhile, was at his back. Anyone that got too close was quickly flung back as far as he could manage. Even psychic demon powers lose some effectiveness after a lot of use. And this fight had been going on for quite some time now, not including the earlier fight in the kitchen. The opposing demons just weren't being tossed as far as before. They were just lucky that these were the lowest level of demons. They might have been able to overpower a human on their own, but they couldn't take down another demon, or even a half- Graced archangel. The only thing they had going for them was the sheer number.

The bursts of psychic power were barely pushing them back a few feet now. Crowley wasn't going to be able to do much more without a rest. If it came to that, Gabriel had a small amount of power left, but they were trying to save that if at all possible. There was still Lucifer to deal with, and they needed all the strength they could get for that.

Gabriel stopped mumbling and got to his feet, turning to face the demon's back. He was careful to keep his wet arm as far away as possible.

"Done yet?"

"Yeah, it should work."

Crowley quirked a brow. "Should? Need a little better reassurance than 'should', angel."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, stepping from behind his lover to grab the nearest demon. She fell forward in surprise, and he turned sharply, flinging her into the pool. She let out a scream, thrashing in the water. Smoke from burning skin was like a fog over the water.

"That work for you?"

Crowley made a face. "That works, I suppose."

"It won't kill them for sure," the archangel reached for another, tossing him in the pool without a second thought. Crowley had to strain to hear him over the yelling. "But if we can get them in there, it'll buy us enough time to get out."

Crowley kicked one of them toward the water. He wanted to stay as far from the edge as he could. The thought of accidentally falling in after them made him sick. Holy Water didn't kill demons outright, but a splash hurt like pressing up against hot metal. Being submerged in it was like being trapped in a house fire. It very well COULD kill him if he couldn't get out fast enough.

It wasn't something he wanted to experience, thank you very much.

Gabriel had no such qualms, aside from keeping all wet appendages away from Crowley. He shoved at demons left and right, knocking them into the Holy pool. Some had already sunk to the bottom, not able to get out in time. Others were flailing violently, and there was a lot of agony- induced screaming. Smoke covered the top of the water, and the smell of burning demon flesh overpowered the room.

It didn't take nearly as long as the exorcisms. A few of the demons managed to make their way out of the pool before they burnt up, but none of those attacked them again for fear of going right back in. Instead they turned tail, getting out as fast as possible. It worked just as well for the pair of them. Those that didn't flee wound up in the water. Gabriel wasn't taking any chances at this point. He was tired, and he knew they were wasting time that they needed to find Sam. He could only hope his brother and Dean were faring better than they were.

He chased the last of them out, watching them flee for the doors. Good riddance. Now they could actually accomplish something, like finding the younger Winchester brother.

"Gabriel!"

The archangel whirled around at Crowley's shout. The demon was hanging over the edge of the pool, clinging to the arm that fisted his shirt, keeping him suspended.

Well. At least they found Sam.

Crowley was frozen still, any movement he might make a chance at him slipping and falling in. Sam held him in place, his face completely devoid of emotion. His eyes were glazed over and he seemed to stare through the demon in his hold.

Gabriel was running across the concrete before he registered it. "Sam, stop!"

Sam didn't look at him. The archangel thought for a moment that the hunter hadn't even heard him, but then he responded.

"Gabriel, stop."

He skidded to a halt immediately, suddenly more afraid then he'd been in a room full of demons. "Sam, c'mon, stop," he pleaded, "let him go…"

This time the taller man did look over. His expression didn't change, nor did his eyes focus. "You're going to come with me."

The archangel held his hands up in a placating manner. "Okay, okay, just chill, alright? Keep the demon away from the pool."

Sam pushed his hand forward, and Crowley teetered on the edge with a panicked shout.

"Alright! We'll go, just get your moose hands off me before I wind up taking the last swim of my life!"

He tilted his head, and for a heart stopping moment, Gabriel thought he was going to push Crowley in anyway. But then he yanked the demon by the shirt, pulling him away from the edge.

"Lucifer is waiting with Castiel." Sam said dryly, forcing the shorter man along.

Gabriel followed after him. Sam was obviously under his brother's control. If they could beat him, the younger Winchester would be okay. So he let him lead them up toward the roof. He could keep up the powerless routine long enough to get a shot in at Lucifer. Crowley was dragged along, growling sharply at getting manhandled as the three made their way to the elevator.

There was never a more awkward elevator ride.


	26. Oblivion

Chapter Twenty- Six: Oblivion ((Patrick Wolf))

At first, Dean couldn't open his eyes.

Everything hurt, but it was a dull ache. Like he was mostly removed from the pain. He was expecting fresh, white- hot agony, but only got a muffled spark of pain when he tried to move. He wondered if this was his body shutting down. You didn't exactly fall from a six- story building and come out of it walking.

He wasn't on the concrete. He lay on something soft instead. A cloud? Did he die? He remembered vaguely a thought he'd had about angels sleeping on clouds. But if he was dead, why did he still hurt, even a little? And what was that beeping noise?

Confused by everything, he blinked an eye open slowly. He was inside now, and the room was bright, too bright. He shut his eye again with a tiny groan. He tried to ease his eyes open slower this time, to adjust to the light. It was a bed. Not a cloud. He was in a hospital.

Were there hospitals in Purgatory? How had he gotten here?

Dean looked around. The curtain was mostly drawn, giving him his own little cubicle. There was someone in the other half of the room on a bed just like his, but they were quiet. The machines beeped and kept track of what they were supposed to, various heart lines and pulses. He looked down at his arms to find an IV line stretching to a bag hanging beside him. That explained the ache; he was probably on a lot of pain medication right now. That probably explained all the weird thoughts as well.

He smelled the coffee before he registered a person entering the room. It filtered in over the too- clean chemical smell of the hospital, deep and bitter. He breathed it in, and it made him smile for some reason he had trouble placing. Must have been all the drugs. Then he looked up, locking eyes with the room's new occupant, standing in the doorway.

"Dean?"

"D- Dad?" His voice came out in a broken gravelly mess. He cleared his throat.

John Winchester nearly dropped his coffee in relief. Instead, he settled for crossing the room, setting the Styrofoam cup on the nearest nightstand. "Jesus, Dean, don't scare me like that."

Dean blinked his eyes a few times, trying to keep them open. He stared at his father, confusion evident on his face. "What happened?"

His father sat on the plastic chair at the bedside. "What do you remember?"

"Demons," he replied. To anyone else, it would sound like he'd lost his mind. However, they were hunters. Demons were a part of the job description, and if anyone could understand that, it was his father. Of course, Satan himself was a bit of a step from a normal demon, and would probably sound insane, even to other hunters. So he'd settle for now. "Fell off a building…"

John shook his head. "You must've been dreaming. You weren't on a job. You were in a car accident."

"Wha…?" That wasn't right at all.

"They found the Impala slammed against a tree on one of the back country roads late last night. No telling how long you'd been out there." He rubbed a hand over his face. He looked tired. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Dean tried to sit up a bit, but the cords and machines stopped him. He felt like he was one giant bruise at this point. "No, that wasn't it. We were at the house, and there was this redhead. An angel. She took us to Purgatory cuz a psychic needed our help to kill demons. Except the archangel wouldn't let us, and then the devil took Sammy-"

John stared at him incredulously. "You're on a lot of medication right now, Dean, and you've probably got a concussion or something. You've been out for a good part of the morning."

It didn't make any sense. He was home? Or had he not left the whole time? Was it all some accident- induced coma dream his brain had supplied him thanks to trauma and drugs?

A car accident?

He shook his head as far as his aching shoulders would allow. He needed to talk to Sam. If Sam didn't remember it, then he'd believe it never happened. His brother had been with him too.

"Sammy?"

John stared at him for a few seconds, not saying anything. He had a look on his face that Dean had remembered seeing once before. When his mother died. Panic rose in Dean's chest, but before he could say any more, his father got up from his chair, moving to the other side of the bed. He pulled the divider curtain back.

Sam lay in the other bed, hooked up to the same machines Dean was. He was unconscious still, his breathing even and slow.

"You both must've hit your head the same way. You were both knocked out when they brought you in. You're the first to wake up though." John's voice was low, pained.

"He's… gonna wake up, right? I did…"

His father pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know, Dean. The doctors can't say for sure. They weren't even sure you'd wake up."

Dean swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. This wasn't right. He didn't remember a car accident. He had all the wrong memories. His brother might not make it, and it would be Dean's own fault. There wasn't anything he could do. At least in Purgatory, he could fight.

John left the curtain open, but made his way back to the other side of the room. He took a long sip of his coffee.

"I'm gonna tell the doctor that you're awake. I'll be right back."

Dean nodded, not trusting his voice. His father gripped the cup a little tighter than necessary, quietly ducking out of the room and leaving his son alone with his thoughts.

He tilted his head back against the pillow, staring up. He'd made it all up. The angels, the demons, the devil. Everything. It was all some dream his head cooked up, probably to cover up the fact that he may have gotten his brother killed. Somehow, he'd screwed up, and lost control with his car. There was no such thing as Purgatory. No angels to scoop up unsuspecting hunters and toss them into a fray they weren't ready for. No battle with the devil. His brother hadn't been kidnapped by the devil, and he hadn't been dropped by him off a six- story roof. There was no Gabriel, or Crowley, or Balthazar, or Chuck.

No Castiel.

No Cas.

He had made up the angel. Castiel, the socially awkward angel who fumbled with trying to be human while waited for his powers to return. Who didn't understand sarcasm, or figures of speech, or pop references. Who didn't like beer, but loved Pepsi and hamburgers. Who couldn't sleep unless he was beside Dean, since he was scared to sleep at all. Who followed him around like Dean was the one keeping him safe, and smiled fondly when Dean tried to teach him things. Who learned to dance from his archangel brother, and wasn't half- bad at it. Castiel, with his half- smiles and too- bright blue eyes and his stupid trench coat and backwards tie.

His eyes watered, dangerously close to tears. He figured it didn't matter this time. He'd been in a wreck, his brother was in a coma and he'd dreamed up the most important people to him besides his own family; he could cry a little if he wanted.

"They say that when people are caught in a Near- Death Experience, their mind gives them a personal form of Purgatory," a quiet voice spoke up from the doorway.

Dean jumped in surprise. Then he curled in on himself as much as the machines would allow with a pained groan. Stupid injuries. He glanced over to the doorway, where a nurse was standing unassumingly, smiling softly at him.

But it wasn't just some random nurse. It was the redhead who'd brought them to Purgatory in the first place. Which wasn't real, he scolded himself. He'd probably seen this nurse when he was brought to the hospital, and put her in his dream before he'd gone into his coma. He'd seen it in movies; people would come to talk to coma patients, and the patients would dream about them while they slept. This girl was probably in his room a lot, taking care of him, and that's why she'd helped them a few times in his Purgatory dream.

She stepped closer, slowly, as if she was afraid she'd scare him further. Dean just stared at her. He'd dreamed of her in normal clothes, jeans and t- shirt and an olive green jacket. But now she wore the regulation light blue hospital scrubs. She smiled at him.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Winchester?"

He blinked a few times to clear his eyes. The last thing he needed was some nurse seeing him cry. "I've been better," he croaked, voice still thick. "But I've definitely been worse too."

"Did you have a nice dream?"

He frowned, tilting his head at her the slightest bit. It reminded him of Castiel, and he had to stop himself quickly. "How-"

"Your father tells me you told him quite the story about being in Purgatory while you slept."

That kind of explained it.

"People are sent to Purgatory usually to receive judgment," the nurse continued. Dean looked at her nametag. It read 'Anna'. "But they always go to accomplish something."

Dean shook his head. "So what happens when you get dragged out before you do any accomplishing?"

Anna grinned, a knowing spark in her eyes. "Then obviously your brother made a deal with the devil to save you."

There was no stopping the head tilt and wide- eyed stare this time. "Was… was it real?"

"In a manner of speaking," she made a useless gesture with her hands. "It's hard to explain. It exists, but it doesn't. Purgatory's funny like that. It's a sort of parallel universe."

"So Cas? Cas and the others, they're real? They actually exist?" He couldn't disguise the hope in his voice. Anna smiled warmly.

"They do. But not in the way you're now thinking."

"What's that mean?"

"They're different creatures, Dean," she moved from the doorway, taking a seat in John's chair beside his bed. "While you and Sam are humans, and had to leave your bodies behind while you were in Purgatory, they didn't. Angels and demons don't have to. That's why their vessels are there, instead of their true forms."

Okay, that made sense.

"Why is that so important?"

"Because. It's like the myth of dying in a dream."

"If you die in a dream, you die in real life?" Dean had heard that before, but knew it was complete bullshit. He'd had enough nightmares of being torn open by various creatures and woken up fine the next morning.

"Exactly," she nodded. "It isn't true, and you know it. And so at this point, Purgatory is more like a dream for you and your brother than an actual place. Your souls are there on loan. Because despite the accident, it's not your time yet. So when you died in Purgatory…"

Dean thought he saw where this was going. "It kinda sling- shotted my soul back into my body, and I woke up?"

"You catch on quickly."

He sat up a bit, despite his body protesting the action. "So, because Cas and the others are really there, if something happens to them…?"

"It's real, Dean." She leveled him with a serious stare. "If they get hurt, or if they die, it's real. There's no coming back from that for any of them. And right now, they're all with Lucifer."

Dean paled; a considerable feat considering how pale he already was. "They won't make it! I've gotta go back, Anna, you've gotta send me back!"

She put a hand on his arm to steady him. "I can't do that, but I can tell you how."

He didn't miss a beat. "How?"

Anna took his hand. She held it for a moment, smiling softly, before placing something in his palm, closing his fingers around it. "I know this was a lot to ask of you and your brother. And we didn't really give you much choice. I apologize. But you and Sam are the only ones who can deal with Lucifer. Everyone in Purgatory needs you right now." She squeezed his hand gently. "Castiel needs you."

Dean stared at her. "How? He's got the sword, he's got Sam. He's got everything. I don't stand a chance."

Her lips quirked up a bit around the edges. "That's never stopped you before."

"I wasn't fighting the fucking devil before."

"Everything you need is right in your hands." She squeezed his hand again for emphasis, before letting go, standing. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to check on your brother. He's got this odd mark on the inside of his wrist that needs to be looked at."

She said it in such a way that Dean thought she had to be hinting at something. But he didn't get a chance to ask, as she stepped away and rounded the half of the divider still in place.

He stared at his brother in the bed across from him. Out cold and still trapped in some dream universe. Sam would be okay if he died in Purgatory. He'd wake up in the real world. But so long as Lucifer had him, the devil wouldn't let that happen. Not that Dean wanted him to die in any sense of the word. It was an automatic reaction to keep his brother alive, even if being dead was the only way to ACTUALLY do that. It was complicated.

And the others couldn't die at all. Gabriel, Crowley and Castiel. He didn't know where the archangel and demon had wound up when he left, but he knew Castiel was in trouble. He'd caught a flash of him before he fell, a swirl of tan and bright blue. He'd been able to do nothing as Dean fell, just stared with the most painful expression he'd ever seen. And now he was there alone, with Lucifer and Sam, who was as good as Luci's puppet right now.

Dean had to save him. To save them both. There was no question.

He opened his hand, eyes widening a bit. Lucifer's charm rested in his palm. So this was his version of ruby slippers, huh? Well then, he mused, it was high time Dorothy went back to Oz and kicked some witch ass.

Except he really didn't know how to use the thing. Anna hadn't really instructed him on parallel world travel. He tightened his fist around the charm, pressing the cool metal into his skin. But there was no glow, and no wind picked up from nowhere.

"C'mon, stupid thing, work," he growled, squeezing it tighter. If he couldn't get back, he couldn't help Sam get back home. He couldn't help Gabriel and Crowley get out of whatever trouble they'd managed to land themselves in. He couldn't help Cas. He'd never see the angel again if he didn't go back. He couldn't let anything happen to him.

"Dammit, you gotta work!"

The charm began to grow warmer. It continued, until it was hot, almost too hot to keep hold of. But Dean was determined, biting down on his lip and only squeezing it tighter. It burned his palm. The normal over- brightness came on, but it didn't seem to come from anywhere in particular this time. There was no wind.

Anna left Sam's side, to close the door. He looked at her.

"Hey Anna."

"Yes?"

He offered a grin. "Take care of Sammy for now. And tell my dad that we'll be right back."

She smiled, giving him a nod.

His eyes fluttered shut a second later, and he fell back against the bed. The machines beeped in protest, and she quickly moved to the older brother's side. She put her hand on his arm and the machines calmed. She took the charm from his hand, her fingers smoothing over the sore skin of his palm.

She knew they could do it.


	27. Love Is War

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Love is War (English Dub) ((Rockleetist))

Gabriel knew immediately that something was wrong. Well okay, even more wrong, considering the circumstances. For one thing, Dean was gone. And Dean wouldn't have left both his brother and his angel there with Lucifer by choice. And considering they were on a rooftop six stories over the ground, it was a pretty fair assumption that he'd been knocked overboard. Added to this theory was the fact that he'd never seen Castiel look so upset in all their lives. And they'd been alive for pretty much forever.

But however bad he felt about what might have happened to the hunter, or how his brother was taking it, there was no excuse for Lucifer to have his hands all over Castiel. The archangel's blood boiled, seeing his devil of a brother wrap the younger angel into a hug, the both of them sitting on the roof tile floor.

He pushed past Sam, storming out onto the roof with a growl. "Get the fuck away from him!"

Castiel tilted his head up to look at him, all heartbroken face and shining eyes. "Gabriel…"

Lucifer didn't look happy for the interruption. Not that anyone could tell from the calm expression he wore. But his eye twitched, and that was enough. "There you are. I was wondering where you two had gotten to. You missed quite the show."

"I said get off him," the archangel hissed, hazel eyes narrowed as he made a grab for his younger brother's arm.

Lucifer pushed him back with only a thought, and Gabriel tripped backwards, landing a few feet away on his ass. Crowley pulled away from Sam's hold, which was fairly nonexistent by that time; Lucifer had ordered him to bring the two to the roof, not to restrain them. The demon joined the younger archangel, pulling him up with a hand.

Castiel curled in on himself, refusing to look at the pair of them.

The devil smiled, setting a hand on his shoulder and glancing up at the two new arrivals. "I was just having a little family chat with our brother. I wasn't doing anything harmful, if that's what you're worried about. I know about the importance of family, Gabriel."

"That's a lie and you know it," the archangel took a step forward, held back by Crowley's hand on his arm. "Don't you sit here and lie to him; you know damned well you'd take us both out if the thought struck you. Family loyalty, my ass. You just wanna use him like you used Sam."

Castiel's eyes widened a bit at the statement. He turned to look at the younger Winchester, who was still by the door with absolutely no expression. It was more than a little creepy for someone like Sam, who always seemed to have some sort of emotion written all over his face.

The last thing Dean saw before falling had been that passive face.

"Such an unfair and completely untrue assumption," Lucifer sighed, fingers reaching to turn the youngest angel's chin back to face him. "I would never lie to you, brother. I can do all I promised you."

Gabriel scowled. "What are you telling him? You're making deals with him?"

He pulled forward, and the demon tightened his grip on the other's jacket.

"Angel…" Crowley muttered in warning. The plan was to wait until his back was turned and use all the Grace Gabriel had left to attack. If Gabriel got mad and jumped the gun, Lucifer would see it coming a mile away, and they'd have nothing left.

Lucifer smiled, tilting his head. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes. We've been having a nice little layout of terms while you two were playing in the pool."

Gabriel's eyes turned to Castiel, who was still staring pointedly at the tile. "Cassy, what are you gonna do?"

Castiel tipped his head up, licking his lips as he frowned hard in determination. "I can end this right now, Gabriel."

The shorter angel shook his head. "No, that's not what you wanna do…"

"It is. I want this to be over. You do as well, that's why you ran away in the first place." It wasn't accusing, it was a simple stating of a fact. "I can do that. I can bring back Dean, who shouldn't have been brought here to begin with. I can save Sam, and Dean can have his little brother back. And I can even keep the two of you safe. Working with Lucifer isn't such a bad option, considering all the good that would come of it."

Lucifer smiled. Gabriel looked like he'd fall, if Crowley hadn't had a death grip on his arm at that point.

"You'll fall if you do this, Cassy…"

The youngest angel huffed, a bitter sort of laugh that Gabriel thought didn't suit him at all. "I'm already going to fall. At least this way, I can get Dean back."

"That's not—"

Castiel shot him a glare. "Gabriel, be quiet. I don't want to hear anything else from you. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions. I've learned a lot about free will since coming here."

The tone surprised Gabriel into silence. Even Crowley raised a brow. Castiel got to his feet, leveling them with a serious frown for a moment before turning his attention to Lucifer. He took the devil's hand, turning them both to stare over the edge of the roof.

"If I do this, if I make this deal, there's no going back on your word, correct?"

Lucifer nodded. "I said I would never lie to you, and I meant it, Castiel. You just have to say yes."

"Cas, don't…"

"Then I suppose I have no other options left to me at this point…" Castiel tightened his grip on his brother's hand, taking a deep breath.

But what he spoke next wasn't what anyone was expecting.

"Gabriel, do it now!"

Gabriel jumped in surprise, before Crowley pushed him forward. It was all the reminder he needed. Castiel had turned Lucifer's back to them, just like they needed. Before Lucifer could turn around, the shorter archangel aimed every bit of Grace he could muster up straight at the devil's back.

Castiel quickly shook his hand free, falling back as the blast hit his brother. Lucifer fell forward with a sharp cry of pain. The dark- haired angel backed up, closer to Gabriel. Crowley had joined in now, using whatever demonic power he had left to help.

It wasn't going to be enough, but it could buy them enough time to get away. Castiel left them to handle that; he didn't have any sort of power to add to the fray. And he knew what he had to do. He had to take care of Sam, as Dean would have wanted. He had to get Sam out of here before Lucifer thought to use his control over the hunter to aid him.

He ran across the roof, using the momentum to slam into the Winchester in the doorway, knocking them both through it and into the stair way. Sam's face remained expressionless; not even surprised. Without orders from Lucifer, he didn't do anything. He just let the smaller man knock him over and then prop him up against the wall.

Castiel stared worriedly at the hunter, locking eyes with green that stared right through him. "Sam, come on. If there's any chance you can hear me in there, you have to listen. You have to fight this, because we need your help. I'm not leaving here without you, and I can't make you leave while you're still under his control. So you've got to fight, Sam."

He made no indication that he'd heard the angel and Castiel sighed. So long as Lucifer wasn't ordering him, Sam was dead weight. But they could manage with that better than if he was fighting them.

A second later, they were joined by Gabriel and Crowley, who ran through the door. Both of them looked haggard, and Gabriel looked near fainting once again.

"That's not going to stop him for much longer, kids, what's the plan?" Crowley slammed the roof door shut, leaning against it. As if it would help any in the long run.

"Gabriel, how far do you think you could take us with anything you've got left?" Castiel glanced up at his brother, who was panting for breath.

Gabriel shook his head, a grimace working across his face. "I've got nothin' left. I might be able to do a few floors, but then someone's gonna have to drag my ass the rest of the way."

Castiel nodded. "Then do it. We'll take care of you. Any distance we can make will buy us some time."

He swallowed hard, leaning against Crowley slightly as he swayed on his feet. "Okay. But this isn't gonna be very impressive."

Crowley held the archangel steady, while Castiel wrapped his arms around Sam's shoulders. So long as they made it somewhere with all limbs intact, he would be impressed enough. Gabriel grabbed onto Castiel's jacket, and the next moment, they had left the stairs.

Castiel looked around. A sign in the doorway told them they'd made it to the second floor game room. The walls were lined with dart boards and score keeping whiteboards, as well as posters and other decorations. On one end of the room were a few change machines, while pool tables were spaces out along the other end.

The angel let Sam rest against the wall where he'd landed with Gabriel's teleport. He reached up, grabbing hold of a pool cue. It wasn't going to do much good in the long run, but he welcomed any bit of help at this point. He handed one to Crowley and, after a moment's thought, a barely- standing Gabriel.

"So what now?" Gabriel used the cue more to keep himself balanced than anything else. He was having trouble standing as it was, he didn't think he'd be any help in a fight. Hell, at the rate he was going, he was just glad to be conscious.

"We're on the second floor," Castiel replied. "It's possible we could make it out of here before we run into trouble. Not likely, but possible."

Crowley glanced at Sam. "What about your moose? He's going to turn on us if he gets the order."

"I don't know," he said honestly. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to think. He was a soldier. A soldier in Heaven. But he wasn't high up enough to be in charge. He'd spent his life following orders, not needing to make plans. He was learning free will, as Dean wanted, but it was difficult. How could humans make these decisions knowing that something could happen to those they care about based on them? If he messed this up, then Lucifer would not only have Sam, but Crowley and his brother as well.

"Our best chance is to escape. We'll have time to recharge and regroup," he replied after a moment's thought. "We're taking Sam with us. We're not leaving him behind. If we need to, we'll restrain him until he's free of Lucifer's influence. But all of us are getting out."

The other two nodded. Then Gabriel swayed on his feet. Crowley grabbed him with his free hand, looping the archangel's arm over his own shoulder.

"Okay, angel, just try to keep awake here." He glanced at Castiel. "You got the moose, Cas?"

Castiel nodded. Crowley pulled Gabriel toward the door and the angel knelt beside Sam, his pool cue tucked under his arm to hold it. This wasn't going to be easy, but he would never forgive himself for leaving the younger man there. He grabbed Sam by the arm, trying to pull him up. If he'd had his Grace, this wouldn't have been a problem; but now he had to rely on his own limited human strength.

Sam wasn't resisting, but he wasn't helping either. After a bit of pulling, he managed to get the other to his feet. With the most difficult task accomplished, he pushed at Sam's back, leading him toward where the others were waiting by the door. The hunter's steps were slow and forced, but it was better than trying to carry him the whole way. With Sam's size, that would have been pretty much impossible for Castiel as he was.

He reached for the door to the hall, turning the knob before it opened of its own volition. Expecting the absolute worst, Castiel quickly pushed Sam aside, raising the pool cue and slamming it down as soon as the door was open far enough.

"Son of a bitch, hey cool it!"

Castiel dropped the cue, eyes wide. Dean stood on the other side of the doorway, arms raised over his head to protect from another hit.

"Dean…?"

Once the threat of violence was gone, he uncurled, letting his arms fall. He offered a weak grin. "Hey Cas."

Castiel launched himself forward, and Dean almost expected another attack. Instead he wound up with an armful of angel, hugging him tightly. Surprised, he wrapped his arms around the shorter man. Crowley and Gabriel looked away, suddenly finding the room's décor more interesting. Sam just stared past everyone.

"How are you here?" Castiel asked against the other's throat, where his face was currently buried. "You died. I saw you fall…"

Dean shrugged the shoulder that wasn't occupied. "Hey, you know me; I'm too stubborn for that. I didn't actually die, I just got brought home. Anna was there, and she helped me get back here to finish this and help you guys."

Castiel's fingers twisted in the back of Dean's shirt, clinging as if afraid to let go. This had gone on longer than any normal hug had a right to, but Dean wasn't concerned. This was Cas. Plus he figured relief of knowing your best friend isn't dead got you a few extra minutes of hug allowance time.

Crowley arched a brow. "How do we know it's really you, and not just Luci screwing with our heads?"

Dean blinked at him, face deadpan. "Because fuck you, that's why."

"That's him," Gabriel chuckled, leaning against the demon. "Even if I couldn't sense him, I'd know it just from that."

The older Winchester looked around at the group of them. His gaze lingered on his brother, and Castiel felt his shoulders slump. He tightened his grip on the other in response.

"So what's the plan?" he asked finally.

"We're down to pretty much our wit and good looks," Crowley replied. "I've got the power of a strong breeze, angel here's barely standing, and your brother is a walking coma."

"We were going to try and get out to regroup," Castiel added.

Dean couldn't help but shiver as the angel's breath hit his throat. He licked his lips, looking around in thought. "Okay. The way I see it, we've got two options. The escape plan is good, because we've got next to nothing right now. But if we do that, we start all over again. Lucifer'll have time to get his shit together too. He'll know he underestimated us, and he'll be more prepared. He might even take off, and then we'll have to go looking for him again."

"Are you suggesting we stay and fight?" Crowley gave him a look that clearly screamed his thoughts of insanity apparent in the human.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. If we can find that sword, we can do this. Right now, we've got a good bit of that surprise element going for us. He doesn't know I'm back, and I'm pretty sure he thinks you'll be running out while you have the chance."

Castiel pulled back a bit, letting some space between himself and Dean, but not quite letting go. "How are we going to find it? This is a very large place, and it could be anywhere."

"I could sense it if I had more of a charge," Gabriel frowned. He looked like he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "I think if we get close, it's possible I could feel something."

"If you can stay awake long enough," Crowley grumbled, but there was no bite to it. He pulled the archangel closer.

Dean nodded. "It's the best thing we've got right now. So we can rule out rooms you've already been in."

"Top floor would be best to start. We can work our way down, since we started in the basement," Gabriel let his head roll back on the demon's shoulder. "We'd better hurry though. It's getting really hard to focus."

"One thing first," the hunter slowly broke away from Castiel, moving to Sam's side. "He's still messed up, yeah?"

The angel nodded. "He won't react unless Lucifer gives him an order. We've been lucky so far. I imagine once we deal with our brother, then Sam will return to normal."

Dean frowned. "We don't have that kinda time. We need all the help we can get, and I can't stand the thought of Sammy being the devil's bitch any longer than humanly possible."

"What should we do then? None of us has the power to counteract whatever deal they made."

He rubbed his face, trying to think. There had to be something they could do. Anna seemed to think that they could win this thing as long as Dean went back. That included saving his brother. He grabbed Sam's arm, turning it over. There was no resistance. On the inside of his wrist was the mark Dean saw while they were fighting. The mark Anna had commented on in the hospital. It had to mean something. The mark had to be part of whatever kept Sam in Lucifer's control.

If he could just figure out why that symbol seemed so damned familiar…


	28. My Revenge on the World

Chapter Twenty- Eight: My Revenge on the World (Out and Out Remix) ((Ayria))

Dean frowned hard at the mark on his brother's wrist. Sam spent more time with sigils and symbols than he did so if something was familiar to Dean, it had to have been important at some point.

Castiel peered over his shoulder. "I'm guessing that the mark is what's letting Lucifer control him…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. It looks really familiar, but I just can't figure out where I've seen it before."

"It's angel magic," he replied, looking it over. "It makes sense that Lucifer would be able to use it, being an angel originally. That explains why he didn't need Sam's soul in order to make the deal work."

"Okay, so we know what it is. How do we break it?"

Castiel couldn't answer that particular question.

He ran a hand over his face with a frustrated noise. They didn't have time for this. He needed to figure out what this thing meant so he could break it and get his brother back. He leaned closer, rubbing his temple in hopes to calm himself. It wasn't really working.

Sam's arm twitched.

Dean and Castiel exchanged surprised looks.

"You said he was completely blank without Luci's orders?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes. He never did that before. He didn't even move unless I pushed him. Perhaps he's reacting to something?"

"Something like what? All I did was lean in closer. Y'think he's reacting to me?"

"It's possible. You two have a very strong connection."

Dean grabbed Sam's arm with both hands, leaning closer to his brother. "Sam?"

"Dean, look," Castiel pointed to Sam's arm.

The symbol was glowing a dark red, almost like it was burning. Sam's arm was shaking, although the rest of him remained unresponsive. Dean stared on in surprise as the charm looped around his own wrist began to glow as well. Then it clicked. He'd seen the symbol before because it was the same one on Lucifer's charm.

Anna told him in the hospital that everything he needed was in his hands. She had to be talking about this. He took a deep breath, moving the charm until it pressed into his palm. Then he grabbed his brother's wrist with it, making sure the charm came into contact with the symbol on Sam's wrist.

Sam started thrashing. It was all Dean could do to keep hold of the other's arm, gripping it tightly with both hands. Castiel wrapped his arms around the younger Winchester, trying to keep him still. Sam struggled against them both, his shoes scraping against the floor as he tried to get away. The hunter and the angel just held on tighter, and Sam whimpered, his face screwed up in pain.

And then Sam was gasping like he hadn't had a breath in forever, arching against the wall he'd been propped up against. He stared at them with wide eyes, trying to catch his breath. His eyes were focused.

"Sammy?"

Sam launched forward, tackling his brother in a hug. Dean fell back with the force of it, and Castiel, who'd been holding onto Sam tightly, was dragged along for the ride with a yelp.

"You're not dead!" Sam squeezed his sibling tightly in relief. "I saw you fall…"

Dean made a noise, finding it rather hard to breathe. He tapped his brother's shoulder with a hand until Sam got the idea, letting him go enough to gasp in a breath. "Jesus, Sammy, let a guy breathe…"

"He's fine, Sam," Castiel smiled, letting the other go. "Another angel helped him get back."

"As touching as this little family gathering is," Crowley drawled, drawing their attention to him. "We've got a little bit of a problem."

He held Gabriel up completely. The archangel had finally lost his fight with staying awake.

"Shit," Dean frowned. "We lost our tracker. We'll have to go in blind."

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Castiel stared at his brother.

Crowley nodded absently, maneuvering Gabriel around so the archangel was draped over his back, holding him up piggyback style. "He'll be fine. He's just knocked out again. At least it'll be quiet for awhile."

Dean got to his feet. "Alright. We'll start at the top floor as planned. Just search everywhere you can think of."

Sam stared up at him. "What are we looking for?"

"How much do you remember about being under Lucifer's control?" Castiel asked, helping the other to his feet as well.

"I remember… the spell at Chuck's place, and then we went home. We ran this case about Shapeshifters, to stop this ritual and get some sword from a bunch of them that looked like you and Gabriel and that nightclub guy. Then after we got done with that, Lucifer found me, and I knew. I knew everything that had happened was a trick of his. But he said he'd send Dean home if I helped him for awhile. He didn't want my soul or anything, just to help him for this one job."

Dean was glaring at his brother, jaw clenched as if he was trying not to yell at him. Castiel intercepted; they didn't have time for Dean to lecture his brother about making deals with devils at this particular moment. "It's the sword we're looking for. That actually happened, although we weren't Shapeshifters. That's just what my brother wanted you to believe so you would help him. That sword is the only thing we've got a chance to stop him with."

Sam nodded, sending Dean an apologetic look. He was going to get it later, he knew. "Then let's get it. I'll take you to it."

The anger turned to shock. "You know where it is?"

"Yeah. I was the one who got it for him, remember?" He offered a sheepish grin. "It's in the room he tricked me into thinking we were staying at on the case."

"Well then let's go already," Crowley huffed. "For how short the angel is, he's still bloody heavy."

"Must be all the candy," Dean chuckled, taking off after Sam.

He led them to the third floor. Starting at the top, it would have taken them hours to reach this point, so Dean was grateful for small favors. He stopped at room 325 and fished a set of keys out of his pocket. The door opened just like it was supposed to, and Sam ushered the group inside.

"Weird that he left the thing with you," Crowley frowned, shifting Gabriel's weight against him.

Sam shrugged. "He had control of me, and Dean was gone with the thing that could bring me back. I guess he figured it wouldn't matter."

"The devil takes his chances," Dean looked around the room. "Somehow, that makes me feel a little better."

"He told me to hide it with our stuff, right after the warehouse." Sam continued, kneeling behind a table to get into the duffel bag there. "He looked like you at the time though. When I woke up next, I'd forgotten about it."

"Well, there goes that feeling better thing," he made a face, thinking about Lucifer walking around looking like him. Not exactly a comforting thought by any means.

Sam shuffled through the bag's contents before pulling out a bundle of motel towels. They were wrapped around something vaguely sword- looking, which he handed off to his brother. Dean looked at Castiel.

"So how do I use this thing? It's supposed to do something with your powers, right? Does it just like, automatically do it? Anything I gotta know? Some sort of heavenly instruction manual?"

Castiel blinked. "I'm… not sure. It's Michael's sword, I've never been around to see it used. Especially by someone besides him."

"Guess we'll just find out then, huh?" He shrugged, pulling the towels away. The sword didn't look like anything special; it looked like any other sword Dean had ever seen. It was shiner though. He figured it had to be pretty old, and yet it looked as polished as if it had been made yesterday. The steel of the blade shone in the sunlight streaming through the window. Dean glanced at Castiel once more before his hand closed over the hilt, lifting it up.

Castiel shivered. Gabriel buried his face against Crowley's back.

The demon made a face. "He's drooling on my shirt."

"That wasn't really the reaction I was hoping for," Dean frowned, looking the sword over in his hand. "Maybe there's some kind of trick to it?"

Castiel hummed thoughtfully. He studied the blade, tilting his head in his confused angel manner. He reached out, touching his fingertips to the flat side of it.

It was like touching a live wire. Castiel froze, feeling the spark flowing through the metal into his fingers. It traveled from there through the rest of his body, sharp and electric. It would have hurt if it weren't a natural part of him. It wasn't a complete return of his powers, but it was more than he'd felt since being in Purgatory. It was Grace working its way back into him, and he smiled.

For Dean it was the equivalent of touching a door knob after shuffling across carpet in socks. A static shock, enough to hurt, but not enough to be unbearable. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He held on tight, watching Castiel for any sort of discomfort. The pain, however slight, seemed to be one- sided. Finally Castiel let his fingers slip away from the blade.

"Cas?"

The angel nodded, still smiling. "It worked. I can feel it."

Dean moved to where Crowley held Gabriel up, reaching for the archangel's hand. He set it on the sword where Castiel's had been, and the same spark rippled through him once again. Gabriel squirmed, blinking his eyes open to stare into Dean's, sleepy but surprised.

And then he focused. It was like drinking three cups of coffee all at once, with extra sugar. He grinned.

"Holy shit…"

Dean nodded, letting go of the archangel's arm. He held the sword in both hands, the energy of it racing through his fingertips. It left them slightly numb, like they'd been asleep. Pins and needles.

Crowley set Gabriel down, once he was more than capable of carrying his own weight. The shorter man smirked in that mischievous way of his, before grabbing either side of the demon's face, pulling him closer into a deep kiss. Dean made a face, looking away. Sam did the same. Castiel stared, until Dean nudged him and he adverted his gaze as well.

Eventually the pair broke apart. "Had to give him his power back too. Sorry guys." Gabriel's tone said he was anything but sorry, but it wasn't really the time to call him out on it. Besides, now they had an archangel, a demon and an angel at pretty good power levels on their side, not to mention two very innovative hunters and a rather powerful sword.

It was starting to look like they had a chance after all.

Now all they had to do was find the devil. Which was a lot easier with charged- up angels than it had been before. Gabriel and Castiel shared a quick nod.

"Ready?" Castiel glanced at the two humans.

Sam nodded. Dean shrugged, leaning the sword against a shoulder like he would his favorite shotgun. "Not gonna get any more ready than this, I guess."

The angel smiled one of his half- smiles. Then he reached up two fingers on either hand, pressing one to both of their temples. And then they weren't in the hotel room anymore. Dean blinked his eyes open, feeling jumbled and slightly dizzy. He shook his head to clear it, looking around. They were in the lobby. The front desk sat harmlessly against the wall, lined with cubby boxes that acted as storage for each room's mail and small items. The rest of the room was quiet, thinly carpeted and sparse. A few chairs were scattered around, grouped in small half- circles. In one corner there was a fireplace, crackling softly with a lit fire.

Dean grimaced. "Can we not do that again? Like, ever?"

"Apologies," Castiel set a hand on his shoulder. "It tends to take some getting used to."

Gabriel and Crowley joined them a moment later. Sam turned around, scanning their surroundings.

"Where's Lucifer?"

"Asking about me, Sam? How sweet of you," the soft- spoken voice came from the doorway leading to the employee area. The group whirled to the spot, watching Lucifer cross his arms and lean against the doorway. "I see you've managed to get past the spell I had on you."

Sam glared at him. "I won't let you use me."

Lucifer huffed out a breath, humming. "I don't think you'll get the choice this time around. I'm getting tired of all the interference. Not that it doesn't keep things interesting, mind you. But it's kind of hard to get anything done this way."

Castiel wasted no more time letting the devil talk his way into Sam's head. He flittered out of the room in an instant, reappearing in the span of a blink to Lucifer's side. He made a grab for Lucifer, but the devil was a moment quicker, twisting out of the way to grab the back of the angel's coat, tossing him across the room. He slammed into one of the chairs, which broke under the force, though he barely made a noise.

This pushed the others into action. Gabriel ran at his older brother, tackling him into the wall. Lucifer swept his legs out from under him with a kick, sending the shorter archangel to the ground just in time to wave an arm. Crowley and Sam, who'd been rushing his other side, were quickly tossed against the wall opposite from where Castiel was thrown.

He ducked away from the wall as Dean swung the sword. It sliced into the door frame instead, getting stuck in splintered wood. The hunter yanked at it, trying to get free, and Lucifer kicked him square in the side. Dean fell back, losing his grip on the weapon. It held in the wood.

Dean charged back at him the moment he regained his balance, and Castiel wasn't far behind. They weren't stupid enough to try and attack one at a time. Not that it made any difference to Lucifer. He grabbed Dean by the neck, choking him for a moment before shoving him into the oncoming Castiel. They both fell back, the angel steadying Dean as he coughed.

Crowley materialized behind the devil, fingers tangling in the back of his shirt and pulling. Lucifer was surprised for a moment, falling back as the demon grabbed his hair and shoved him towards the blade stuck in the wall. The metal barely touched his throat as he managed to flicker out of existence, appearing on the other side of the demon with a cruel grin. He shoved Crowley instead, and the blade pressed hard into his cheek, slicing deep into the skin as the demon hissed in pain.

Gabriel growled, leaping to shove Crowley away from the blade, knocking the demon into Lucifer and shoving him by connection. They all landed in a heap, the devil on the bottom and the archangel on top.

Dean ran to the doorway, hands on the sword's hilt and pulling, trying to free it from the wall. He braced a foot on the wall, trying to get better leverage, but the thing was stuck tight.

Lucifer bared his teeth angrily, and Gabriel and Crowley were shoved away in opposite directions by psychic energy. Before he could get up, Sam was there, a large sneaker slamming into the devil's face. He let out a howl of pain, reaching up with both hands to grab Sam's ankle and twist. The hunter fell, off balance, and Lucifer continued to wrench it. There was a snap that seemed to echo through the room, followed by Sam's yell and he curled up against the agony flaring in his now broken ankle.

"Sammy!" Dean left the sword, rushing to his little brother's side. Lucifer was on his feet and angry, ready to bring a hard foot down on Sam's already- broken bones. Dean moved without thinking, shielding his brother as best he could. The devil's kick landed on him instead, steel- toed work boot slamming into his already bruising side. He yelped, falling against Sam.

Then Gabriel and Crowley were on either side of the devil, each grabbing an arm and pulling back. He thrashed wildly in the grip, giving Sam and Dean time to move out of the way. Sam scooted back on the floor as fast as his one uninjured leg would let him, yanking Dean away as the older Winchester clutched at his side.

Castiel pulled him up, all but shoving him back toward the sword in the wall. "I'll take care of Sam, just hurry and use the sword!"

Dean nodded, his hands gripping the thing's hilt once more. His ribs ached, but he pulled as hard as he could. It slid free from its wooden prison by a few inches.

Lucifer struggled against the archangel and the demon, throwing them off into the collection of mailboxes behind the front desk. The boxes broke until their weight and the force, sending bits of wood everywhere. Lucifer turned to Castiel, who had positioned himself between the devil and Sam, tense and ready.

"Castiel," he sneered, stepping closer. "I should have never tried to offer you anything. You're much too stubborn to side with any of us. Heaven or myself."

"I have a side. I should think that much was obvious," the angel replied, cool blue eyes not leaving the other.

"I'll destroy you. There won't be enough left of you for your Grace to piece back together."

And then the devil was on him in a rage, hands around the angel's neck before he could even blink. Castiel held his ground, careful not to back up into Sam, who was still curled up on the floor behind him. One of Lucifer's hands moved to his arm, nails digging relentlessly into his sleeve and skin as he pulled.

Castiel felt the joint pop out of place at his shoulder and grit his teeth. His mind briefly flashed back to a nightmare, of a demon tearing his arm off completely. It hurt, but he wasn't giving in. He was the only thing standing between the younger Winchester and the devil, and he wasn't going to let Lucifer have him. His arm felt like it was on fire, skin stretching beyond its limits. The sleeve of his coat tore with the force of it, stitches ripping in a way that he was sure his entire arm was going to mimic.

"Cas!"

The angel had time to look up, blue eyes widening as he caught sight of Dean rushing forward. Then Lucifer stopped. His grip tightened until Castiel was sure he heard the bones in his arm grinding together.

And then the pressure was gone. Lucifer stood still, his face unabashed surprise for the first time. The devil looked down at his own chest, where the tip of the blade was pushed through. A cut straight through, from back to front.

He fell to his knees, staring up at Castiel. "You can't kill me. Only Michael can, even if you have his sword."

"We're not trying to kill you," Gabriel said from behind him. "We're going to let our brother deal with you. We're just the delivery service."

The archangel grinned, setting his hand on one side of the hilt, beside Dean's grip. Castiel moved then, reaching out with his uninjured arm to rest on the other side. The sword began to glow brightly and Lucifer gasped. The light slid from the blade in tendrils, wrapping around the devil's arms and torso like chains. The light grew brighter and brighter, until Dean had to close his eyes. He could hear Gabriel telling Sam and Crowley to do the same.

Lucifer let out one final angry snarl before it was quiet. The light faded enough for them to open their eyes, and he was gone.

"Where'd he go?" Dean looked around, tense. If he'd gotten away somehow, they'd have to do this all over again. He didn't think they could manage this kind of luck twice.

"In the sword," Castiel nudged him comfortingly with a shoulder. "He's trapped there with our Grace."

Dean tossed the sword in the trunk of the Impala. He wanted the thing as far away from them as possible, and it was a long trip back to Chuck's castle.

They'd done it. They'd actually taken on Lucifer himself, and had come out alive. Beaten, but alive and breathing. And that was more than they'd hoped, going into this fight. The injuries they could deal with. Both Gabriel and Castiel had put all their Grace back into the sword to seal Lucifer in it, so they couldn't count on any angelic healing. But they'd managed before on normal means, they'd manage again.

It would just kinda suck a little more, was all.

He looked around the parking lot where they'd gathered, assessing the damage. It hurt to breathe, and he was pretty sure he'd cracked another rib. His side was covered in angry bruises and red scratches from the walls. Crowley had a fairly deep cut along the length of his cheek. It bloodied the side of his face, but he didn't seem to be complaining too much, so Dean guessed he'd live. Castiel's shoulder needed to be popped back into place, and he wasn't looking forward to that. Sam's ankle was broken. Dean didn't have that level of expertise in healing to deal with that, and all they could do for now was keep him off it. They'd have to drive back before they could do anything for it. Sam grit his teeth against it, and Dean promised to get him some painkillers at the first place they could find along the way. Gabriel seemed to be the least injured of the party, with only a few sparse cuts and bruises.

Stupid lucky archangels.

He left said lucky archangel to deal with Crowley, tossing him the nearly- empty first aid kit. Then he set about the very unpleasant task of relocating Castiel's shoulder. The angel clung to him with his good arm, face set as Dean took hold of the other arm. He shoved it back into place without warning, not wanting to give him time to tense any more than he already was. Castiel let out a sharp cry of pain that sounded suspiciously like a curse. Dean arched a brow, but didn't comment. Something like that, a person had every right to cuss a little. The angel winced, moving his shoulder in little twitches, testing it.

With the easier injuries taken care of, that left the more difficult ones. The first aid kit was used up, so there was nothing Dean could do about his side. They needed to get back quickly, at any rate. Sam needed help as soon as possible for his ankle. Dean slid into the driver's seat, starting up the car. Then he moved to help Sam in, forgoing the passenger's seat to set him in the back so he could prop his leg up. Gabriel took up the other end of the backseat, being the smallest and least likely to disturb Sam's injury. Castiel sat in the middle of the front seat beside Dean, and Crowley squeezed in beside the angel. Luckily for all involved, the Impala had bench seats.

It was surprisingly quiet for the group that had just won a battle against Satan himself. It was if they all felt talking about it would jinx it somehow. If they spoke and joked around or celebrated, it would make it somehow not real. They'd have to do it all over again. Or maybe they were just all in shock that they weren't dead by now. It was hard to figure out at this point. Dean supposed it could have been a strong mix of both.

So instead Dean did what he did best after a particularly difficult hunt. He put on music. He grabbed a random tape from the box and shoved it in the tape deck.

A wailing guitar solo started up as they drove away from the hotel and back toward Chuck's place. It was oddly fitting.


	29. Could It Be Any Harder?

Chapter Twenty- Nine: Could it Be Any Harder? ((The Calling))

The person they found waiting for them at the castle wasn't Chuck. It wasn't anyone they were expecting. It wasn't even anyone Dean knew. The Impala drove through the gates, and the party fully expected to see Bobby waiting at the door, as surly as usual. Instead, there was a woman there. A woman with soft blonde hair and sharp eyes. She stood by the doors, leaning against them with her arms crossed.

Dean was wary of this new person, as he was all new people, but Crowley slid out of the car before he could protest that they be careful. He frowned, following the demon away from the car and toward the door.

"Well, it's about damn time you all got here. I expected you to make better time." She smirked a bit, her words accented with almost the same English as Crowley.

"I think you're giving them too much credit, Bela dear," Crowley replied with a chuckle. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured someone should give you a hand, since all your lovely human friends have slipped off."

Dean frowned. "Wait, what? What do you mean 'slipped off'?"

She tilted her head towards him, giving him an obvious once- over before answering, her eyes flickering to ink black for just a moment. A demon. This must have been the 'personal assistant' Gabriel had mentioned in the Laundromat. "I mean they're gone. All of them. Any human and angel that helped you along the way has left Purgatory for good."

"Why? What happened?"

Bela sighed, as if she were explaining things to a small child. Beside her, Crowley just grinned. "This is Purgatory. It's a place of judgment. Everyone here is tested before they can move on to bigger and better— or worse— things. And for a lot of people, this was their test."

The hunter stared at her, making the wheels turn enough to follow through. "So, by helping us, they sorta passed their test into Heaven?"

"Now you're catching on," she nodded. "But we're wasting time. Let's get everyone inside. There's still lots to be done."

Dean didn't know if they could trust her. She was a demon. He hated putting any kind of trust in demons. Present company included. But they needed help, Sam needed help, and no one else was around. Crowley seemed to like her as well, which said more for her than Lilith, and she had eventually helped them anyway.

Finally, he gave in. He would be careful, but if Bela could help them, then he wasn't going to stop her.

They moved Sam into the main hall. Crowley set to work, with Bela and Gabriel assisting. Dean really didn't like a pair of demons and an ADD archangel trying to fix his brother's ankle, but Crowley assured him they knew what they were doing. As it turned out, a lifetime of torture gave one a fairly decent knowledge on bone structures of the human body. And it was a simple matter to go from taking something apart to putting it back together. He was doing it begrudgingly, he insisted, but he was doing it. That was enough for Dean's frazzled mind to wrap around at that moment.

It wasn't pretty. They had only the supplies that Chuck had left for them before everyone passed on. There was enough bandages and first aid supplies for the job, even the supplies to make a sort of cast. Chuck must have had one last vision before leaving.

While the demons worked on his brother, Dean sat aside, shedding his shirts to bandage his ribs. He'd managed to get the first layer off, hissing in pain, before Castiel joined him.

"It would be easier if you had assistance," the angel pointed out, sitting beside him.

Dean bit back a pained groan. "Probably, yeah."

Castiel took the shirt from him, setting it aside. His fingers reached for the hem of the t- shirt, meeting Dean's eyes before slowly pulling. They managed to get the shirt off, and Dean sat as still as possible. Breathing hurt, and moving hurt even worse. And now that the adrenaline of the fight had worn off, the pain was first and foremost in his line of attention.

He leaned his weight on his arm, letting Castiel clean the cuts along his side. Across the room, there was a snap, and Sam growled out a few choice words. Dean didn't envy his brother right now.

The angel set aside the gauze he'd been dabbing cuts with. He looked up at Dean expectantly. "What do I do now?"

Dean tried to take slow breaths, and tried not to think too much about what was going on next to them. "You'll have to wrap up my ribs. Make sure it's tight enough, but not so tight that I can't breathe. Cuz I kinda need to do that."

Castiel nodded, picking up the bandage roll.

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Once the injuries were taken care of— and heavily medicated with aspirin in Sam's case— the next task was getting the sword back to Michael. The angels insisted that the only reason the archangel had allowed them to use it was on the condition that Lucifer be returned to Heaven as soon as possible for Michael to deal with.

The only question was how.

"We used the remainder of our Grace to seal Lucifer inside the sword," Castiel explained, sitting back in his chair. They'd all moved to the dining room after the impromptu medical treatment, where Dean had raided the kitchen to find them something to eat. It wasn't the fancy fare that Chuck had made for them, but everyone was eating and not even Crowley was complaining about the humility of eating some sort of thrown- together chili.

"So there's no way we can just wait a day or two for Gabe to charge up and use it?" Dean prodded his chili with a spoon.

Gabriel shook his head. "That was the last of it. There's no recharging now, I can't feel it. I'm just as human as Cassy is right now."

Dean didn't miss the younger angel's frown at that. "Well okay. So angel mojo is out of the question. Demons?"

Crowley arched a brow. "You assume we can do something to send an angelic sword back to an angel?"

He shrugged. "It's got the devil in it."

Bela rolled her eyes, even as she smiled. "No, Dean."

"Okay then. Guess it's up to the humans."

"What are we supposed to do with it?" Sam asked, turning his head to stare at his brother. He was propped up sideways in his chair, so his ankle could rest on the chair beside him. The cast was dry, but it still hurt like a bitch. Even after Bela played nurse for him, cooing and petting his hair softly. Dean thought that was hilarious. Sam not so much.

"I'm not sure. There's gotta be some way to make this thing go away. A spell or a symbol…" He blinked, tilting his head with a sudden realization. "What about the charm?"

Castiel frowned in thought, grabbing Dean's wrist to inspect the cord looped around it. "It brought you from Earth to Purgatory, correct?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Anna told me it would."

"How did it work?"

"I dunno. I just thought really hard about coming back, and it worked. So if I think really hard about sending this sword back to your friend in Heaven…"

Castiel considered it thoughtfully, studying the symbols on the charm. "It should work."

Gabriel grinned around a mouthful of chili. "Great. Then let's do it soon, before something goes wrong and pops Luci back out to play with again. The last thing we need is Michael comin' down here in a righteous flurry and smiting us all for keeping him away from his sibling rivalry."

They finished their meal quickly and moved to the main hall. Dean wrapped the charm around the sword, not really sure how to go about the process. It was one thing to try to get yourself somewhere, and it was another entirely to get an inanimate object somewhere with the power of your own thoughts. If he wound up transporting himself to Heaven in the process, he was going to be pissed.

He concentrated, thinking hard about sending the sword back to Heaven, and leaving himself here in Purgatory. It took a good ten minutes of this, and he was almost convinced it wouldn't work, before the sword began to glow. It was a different glow than before, which he thought was a good thing. The last thing anyone needed was Lucifer trying to burst out of the thing. It was a red glow, the same as the transport spells he'd been a part of since starting this crazy job. He closed his eyes against it, and when the light faded, the sword was gone.

"I'm assuming that means it worked?" the hunter shrugged, turning to glance at the audience he'd picked up.

Castiel nodded. "I can't imagine you'd have sent it anywhere else."

"Works for me."

They returned to the dining room shortly after. It had become their planning room, of sorts. The next order of business was getting them all to their respective homes. This proved to be a little trickier.

"The only way to go is with one of those spells," Gabriel tipped his chair back onto two legs, hanging in the air.

"The problem with that is that it's angel magic, angel," Crowley sighed.

"So?"

"So only an angel can use that spell," Bela offered. "And with everyone else gone, it'd be up to you or your brother."

Castiel tilted his head. Sam looked up from the book he was reading and Dean frowned.

"So someone's gotta stay behind?"

"That's the general idea, yeah."

Gabriel shrugged. "Well, that's no big deal. I was gonna stay anyway. I can't leave Crowley here by himself, he'd wreck the place."

"Angel…"

Bela shook her head, her face serious. "That's not…" she sighed. "Crowley has to leave as well."

"What?" Both archangel and demon stared at her as they spoke in unison.

She gnawed at her bottom lip. She hated being the one to break bad news. "I was here, when everyone left. There was a redheaded angel; I think her name was Anna. But she's the one that sent this group on. I had come here looking for you two," she pointed to Crowley and Gabriel, "and this Anna girl told me to wait here, because you'd be coming back and would need help. She explained to me that she was sending them all home, so I'd have to debrief you or whatever. And she said that if Crowley remained here in Purgatory, she'd kill him."

The table was silent. No one knew what to say to that. Finally Crowley sighed.

"Well. It looks like I'm a part of this bloody field trip after all."

Gabriel's face lost all trace of humor. "Then I guess you guys should get ready to go…"

"Gabriel…" Castiel set a hand on his brother's arm. "I can—"

"Don't even try it, Cassy. You wouldn't last three days here on your own, and I won't let that happen."

Dean frowned. They'd done what they came here to do, and yet the one thing they asked for in return had to go like this. Angels, as a whole and present company excluded, were dicks. He glanced at Gabriel, who was staring resolutely down at the table. "We'll do it tomorrow. A good night's sleep won't hurt anyone, and it'll… give everyone some time to say goodbye."

No one questioned it. No matter how badly any of them wanted to go back, it was clear the sacrifice Gabriel was going to make for them. It was the least they could do in return.

Bela sighed, reaching over to smooth back the archangel's hair. "I'd do it for you if I could."

He nodded. "I know."

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"I'm staying here," Crowley crossed his arms, determined, as he sat on the bed in Gabriel's room.

The archangel shook his head. "You heard Bela. They'll kill you if you're still here."

"And Lucifer was going to kill me before. You act like no one's ever threatened my life before, angel."

Gabriel flopped onto the bed beside him, leaning against his side. "This is different. Before Luci was always the greater evil or whatever. This time, there's no one but you. If they see you're still around, they won't waste any time. I know them."

"So I'm just supposed to head off and leave you here?" he snapped. "You don't even want to be here in the first place!"

"I know. And yes, you are." He pushed his cheek into the demon's shoulder. "It's not forever. Eventually one of them'll come back. Or I'll find a way to get hold of them. They can send me home."

"You don't know how long that'll take."

"It's better that I stay here on my own than everyone get stuck here. I can't do that to them. Or you."

He growled, raking a hand through his short hair in frustration. There wasn't any other way for this to happen, but he didn't want to admit defeat. He was defective, he knew it. Because demons shouldn't feel like this. They shouldn't care when their angel significant others decide to stay in Purgatory and send them to Earth. They shouldn't care that they'd be separated from the one person they'd gotten close to. They shouldn't get close to anyone in general, especially angels. And they certainly shouldn't feel guilty because there was nothing anyone could do about this.

Gabriel was looking at him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen on the angel. If he had a heart, he was sure it would have broken. As it was, it just felt rather unpleasant. He pulled the other closer, into a deep kiss, and Gabriel responded immediately.

After a moment, he pulled back. "We've got some time until morning."

Gabriel smiled. It wasn't up to his usual standards, but it was a start. "We should make it count, then."

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"Anna used the spell and transported herself," Sam pointed out. "Why can't that work here? You're an archangel, right? Shouldn't you be more powerful than her?"

He sat against the wall in the main hall, propped up with his duffel bag. He watched as Gabriel drew the circle in the middle of the floor.

"Yes and no," he replied, focusing on drawing the symbols correctly. It'd been awhile since he'd done this. "Normally, I could do it, no problem. Without a second thought. Hell, I wouldn't even need a circle. But Anna did the spell on Earth. Where we all have our Grace. She could do it that way because she used her Grace. Here in Purgatory, we're pretty much powerless. Not to mention I haven't gotten any kind of recharge since sealing Lucifer."

Sam frowned, his book forgotten as he stared at the other. "So there's really no other way."

Gabriel shook his head. "Afraid not. It's not gonna be permanent though. Anna will come back eventually. Or someone else. After what happened here, they won't let Purgatory go without supervision for too long. I'd say a couple years at best."

"Years?" the younger Winchester gave him a look. "That's a bit of a wait, don't you think?"

He chuckled, though it was obvious there was no humor in it. "Yeah, I guess so."

They continued in silence for awhile, Gabriel drawing symbols in chalk on the marble floor and Sam watching him. When he was finished, the archangel stood, dusting his hands off and looking over his work.

"Do me a favor, yeah?"

Sam blinked. "Yeah, sure, anything."

Gabriel stared at the chalk he held. "I know I can count on your brother to watch out for Cassy. Just… I know it's a lot to ask, but can you kinda try to keep tabs on Crowley? Just make sure he doesn't get into anything over his pay grade?"

He smiled. "Sure."

Gabriel ruffled his hair, most likely getting chalk dust in it. "Thanks kiddo. I'd better get the party together. Time to get this show on the road."

The others were waiting in the dining room. Once Gabriel was done, they filtered into the main hall. It was a somber thing as they separated, Gabriel and Bela standing outside the circle while the other four took their places inside it. Dean and Castiel were on either side of Sam, supporting him and taking the weight off his ankle. Crowley made no attempt to cover up how angry he was over how things had turned out.

Gabriel attempted a smile. "So you guys stay out of too much trouble. When I get to come back, I don't wanna find any of you dead, and I certainly don't wanna see any of your asses back here."

"Take care of yourself, Fun Size," Dean grinned at him.

"I'll help," Bela set a hand on the archangel's shoulder. "I can't leave until he does anyway."

The circle began to glow. The wind from nowhere picked up again, whipping at their hair and clothing. Crowley looked up, meeting Gabriel's eyes. The archangel smiled, his eyes locked on the other until the light got too bright, and everyone in the circle had to close their eyes.

Then something pushed him. Surprised, he fell a step forward, whirling around to see Anna. His mouth fell open, gaping at her. She had appeared directly behind him, although he hadn't heard her with the wind blowing as it was. Her hair flew in the gust, sending red everywhere. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she smiled, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Now stop being such a stupid older brother and get in there. Someone's got to keep tabs on that demon."

"Anna…"

"I said go," she pushed him again. "I'll take care of things here."

He nodded. There wasn't much time left. The wind was already blowing forcefully and the light was already blindingly bright. He wasted no more time, sneakers pushing off the floor as he jumped into the circle, latching on to Crowley. The demon fell back, not expecting the extra weight.

They landed on the grass.


	30. Wishing You Would Stay

Chapter Thirty: Wishing You Would Stay ((The Tea Party))

Castiel was surprised to see Gabriel once the light settled, but none was more in shock than the demon he'd latched onto and landed atop of. Crowley stared up at him, mouth open in surprise as Gabriel just smirked at him.

"You're…"

Gabriel propped his elbows on the other's chest, resting his chin on his hands. "You should know by now that I've always got a trick or two up my sleeve."

Crowley shook his head. "I don't know whether to kiss you or punch you for that one, angel."

"Well, considering the fact that I can feel my Grace recharging pretty quick now, I'd say it's in your best interest not to piss me off too bad." He smirked, leaning in for the first option, pressing together for a kiss.

Castiel looked away, wanting to give his brother a bit of privacy. Instead he took in their surroundings. They were in a park. It was later in the evening, almost sunset. They stood in a clearing near the woods, far enough away as to not draw attention to the children playing and parents talking. Castiel recognized it as the same park he'd visited before going to Purgatory to find Gabriel, back when he and Uriel had discussed the archangel's absence.

They were also alone. There was no trace of the Winchester brothers. As soon as Castiel noticed it, he began to panic. Had something happened to them? Did they not make it back? He reached out with his returning Grace, trying to find them. He got the sense that they had arrived back on Earth safely. They just weren't here.

They would return to wherever their physical bodies were when they left. Dean had mentioned, after returning to Purgatory, that he'd woken up in a hospital.

"Gabriel," he spoke up, waiting for a moment before his brother broke away from the demon to stare at him. "I have to go. I need… to see that they're alright before I return to Heaven."

Gabriel stared up at him, humor sliding off his face for a moment. "Go see 'em. Just remember that it's okay. All that stuff Luci told you, it's not true."

Castiel nodded. He gave them both a half- smile, and then he was gone.

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The second time Dean woke up in the hospital, he wasn't surprised. He was ready for the numbness and the tubes stuck into his arm. He blinked his eyes open, looking around. He was alone, but he could hear shuffling on the other side of the room, steps that were too heavy to be a nurse.

"Dad?"

John was circling the curtain in a heartbeat. "Dean, you're awake!"

He smiled. "Yeah, sorry about that. Wasn't quite done yet. But we're good now."

His father looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

There was a groan from the other side of the room. Sam tried to sit up before realizing the amount of machines he was hooked up to. Dean just grinned.

"How you feelin', Sammy?"

His brother looked around, frowning in confusion at the new surroundings. "Did we make it?"

"Yeah, we're good."

John looked from one side to the other, relief obvious on his face. He pulled the divider curtain out of the way, shoving it to the far side of the room. He sat his chair in between the two beds, leveling them both with a tired stare.

"You're going to have to explain all this to me."

"I tried that already, and you said it was a coma dream," Dean chuckled, settling back against the bed. He hurt, but it wasn't unbearable. The pain medication probably helped a lot.

"That was before you both woke up at the same time after being unconscious all night, and then sounding like you both just came back from a job." John returned the grin.

"Cuz we kinda did," Sam stared at the IV in his arm. He moved his foot, relieved to find that his broken ankle hadn't come with him from Purgatory. "It's a long story."

"Well, the doctor said your injuries look good, and that when you woke up, it wouldn't be long before you could go home." A nurse spoke up, poking her head in through the doorway with a smile. She tucked a loose curl of blonde hair behind her ear.

Dean blinked. "Jo?"

She nodded. "Anna's off, so I'll be taking care of you two for the rest of your stay. I'll go get the doctor. I'm sure you'd like to know as soon as you can get out of here."

John thanked her as she left. Dean just grinned. And then there was another person rushing through the door, a flurry of tan trench coat.

"Dean!"

Their father was up in an instant, grabbing onto Castiel's coat. "Now just wait one second, who do you think you are—"

Castiel stared at him with wide blue eyes. Dean sat up as best as he could manage.

"Dad, hold up, it's okay. He's a friend of ours."

John stared the stranger down intensely. Castiel stared back, not sure what to make of this new human. Sam chuckled from his bed. Finally John let the other go, and the angel hurried to the older brother's bed.

"Hey Cas. Everything alright?"

Castiel nodded. "Gabriel made it back. Anna returned in time to send him through with us. He and Crowley are in a park somewhere, unless they've gone somewhere else by now."

Both brothers looked relieved to hear that. As much trouble as the archangel was, he didn't deserve to be stuck in Purgatory by himself. Although they'd probably have to keep tabs on the both of them, to keep them out of trouble.

Dean chewed at his lip. "So… I guess you're going home too then?"

Castiel looked down. He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and closed it. After a moment's silence, he tried again. "I must. There's a lot of work left to be done, and Michael will need my help dealing with our brother."

Dean nodded, pushing back the lump in his throat. He wanted to do something, anything to make the angel stay with him. But he wasn't going to keep someone from their home. It wouldn't be right, and Dean would feel guilty for it for the rest of his life, no matter how much he wanted to keep Castiel around.

"Just… remember what I said, okay? You can come visit anytime you like. Me and Sammy'll be on jobs, but you can always come help out."

Castiel met his eyes once again. Another intense angel stare. Then he smiled, a true smile. "I will. Thank you."

The angel turned to Sam with another smile, offering his goodbyes. Sam grinned in return. And then the angel left the room, most likely to go disappear somewhere he wouldn't be seen.

John arched a brow. "Who was that? Another hunter?"

Dean grinned slowly, easy in that way that meant he was hiding something, to those that knew him well enough. "Something like that."

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They left the hospital a few days later. Their injuries had mostly healed by that point, little more than cuts and bruises that looked suspiciously like injuries they'd gotten in Purgatory. Sam's ankle hurt, but it wasn't broken on Earth, merely sprained. He had to take a few weeks off hunting to let it heal completely.

Ellen and Bobby had come to visit at one point with Jo, making the pair promise to stay out of too much trouble. Chuck had been emailing Sam since they'd left the hospital, telling him about his latest novel writing processes, and how excited Becky was about them. Sam figured a story about humans, angels and demons saving Purgatory from the devil sounded like a pretty good plot. Dean made Chuck promise on threat of death to change the characters. He didn't need people like Becky writing fanfiction about them.

The Winchesters continued hunting, business as usual. After Sam's ankle healed, and Dean fixed up the Impala from the staged accident that landed them in Purgatory— which he grumbled and cursed at everyone involved that just because they wanted them for something, they didn't have to take it out on his baby— they started taking cases again. It was easy to fall back into their routine, and for the most part, it was like the whole thing never even happened. It was just another case they'd done.

Except when it wasn't. It had been a little more than a month since Purgatory, and Dean was, in Sam's opinion, sulking like a kindergartener whose favorite toy got taken away. Sam supposed he could understand. It was hard to really connect with people in their line of work, and they didn't have many friends outside of each other. Dean took their job seriously, and that left little time for more than random hook- ups. So when he connected with someone, it was pretty damned important. And he'd never seen his brother as close to anyone that wasn't family as he had been with Castiel. But the angel was back in Heaven, and as much as Sam missed his company, he knew his brother missed him even more. Even if he wouldn't admit it. The younger Winchester liked to think he knew his brother better than pretty much anyone at this point.

And so Sam decided to start searching for the person he knew would be able to tell him about his brother's angel. It started with an email to his vision- having novelist friend.

Dean wouldn't admit to sulking. He was pissed, but he was a grown adult, and he didn't sulk. There was a reason he didn't let anyone but Sam and his father get too close to him. Because they always wound up leaving in the end, and it had been no different with Castiel. He could mostly take out his frustrations on the ghosts they salted and burned, or the one or two demons they exorcised, but the lull in between made him cagey and in such a bad mood at times that Sam had either gone out or kicked him out of whatever motel they were staying at.

Sam's process wound up taking half a week, after the first month back on the road. A lot of emailing and prodding psychics, and in one particular case, bribery. But when the Winchester brothers returned to their motel room after a particularly nasty ghost case, Sam was pleased to see they had visitors.

Gabriel sat back in one of the motel's rickety chairs, tipping it back with his feet propped up on the table. He was popping M&Ms into his mouth from the bag on his lap. Crowley was on the edge of the nearest bed, looking particularly bored.

Sam, as previously stated, was pleased to see them. Dean, not so much.

He didn't miss a beat, moving to flop onto the other bed. "Oh great. So the archangel can find the time to visit, but his younger brother's too busy."

Sam sighed, taking a seat opposite Gabriel at the table. "Ignore him. He's been like this for awhile. It's good to see you two again."

Crowley hummed something noncommitantly. Gabriel leaned forward, setting his chair on all four legs.

"We just came by to see if Sam wanted to catch some lunch with us."

Dean was immediately suspicious. "Why?"

The archangel grinned. "Because we're going to kidnap him, obviously. We've got a van parked out back and everything."

Crowley snorted at that.

"Shouldn't you stick to kidnapping kids that are actually smaller than you?"

"Good to see being an emo teenager hasn't dulled your sharp wit," he smirked back, before getting up from the chair. He rounded the table, pulling at Sam's arm. "C'mon, kiddo. We're going out. Your brother can stay here and sulk."

They were gone before Dean could protest that he was not, in fact, sulking. The archangel had teleported the three of them away, leaving Dean alone in the room. He scowled. The first time they see anyone who might be able to tell him something about Castiel, and they run off with his brother and leave him here by himself. Figures. He pushed himself off the bed, padding across the room to the mini- refrigerator, popping it open to grab a beer.

He wasn't even sure he wanted to ask about Castiel anymore. It had been two months; obviously the angel wasn't interested in keeping contact. Not that Dean had tried to reach him either, but he wasn't exactly sure of the proper way to call an angel. Castiel didn't exactly have a phone number. It was time to start coming to terms with the fact that after everything they went through, Castiel was busy being an angel again, and didn't have time to hang out with humans anymore. So if Castiel wasn't going to make an effort, neither would Dean. The hunter made the decision to not think of the angel anymore.

This resolve lasted all of thirty seconds, because he turned away from the fridge to find the angel in question standing directly in front of him.

Castiel gave one of his little half- smiles. "Dean."

He dropped his beer in surprise. The bottle fell, bouncing off the carpeted floor and rolling for a moment. "Cas?"

The angel launched himself forward, hands reaching to curl in Dean's shirt and yank him into a desperate kiss. The hunter returned it just as hard, before remembering that he was supposed to be pissed off at the other.

He pulled back, putting some distance between them. "Wait, wait… you're gone for two freaking months, then come back all of a sudden to make out with me? What gives, Cas?"

Castiel looked confused, giving one of his signature head tilts. "I was in Heaven, as I told you."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, running a hand through his hair irritably. "But dropping a line every now and then wouldn't kill anyone. I thought you were done with me. Got your mojo back and suddenly you didn't need me teaching you how to be a human."

"That's not true at all, Dean. I loved your lessons on human interaction. I hadn't meant for it to take so long. But there were things I needed to take care of. I helped Michael deal with Lucifer's return to Heaven, and I spoke with him about a few things."

Dean leaned against the wall after picking up his beer from the floor. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

The angel smiled. "I've had something of a department change."

"What's that mean? You switched from accounting to mail room or something?"

This gave Castiel pause. "I don't understand."

"Nothin'. What's your new job?"

"Before, I was a soldier. But given the time I spent with humans in Purgatory, effectively becoming one of them for a time, Michael thought it was best that I take a position that would better suit my experiences."

He could tell the angel was trying to get somewhere with this, but he wasn't picking it up fast enough. "And that would be?"

Castiel smiled, genuine. "Think of it as a research department. It was Gabriel's idea, actually. He sort of… talked Michael into it."

"Research. Like, human research?"

"That's exactly what it is. Michael agreed that it's a species worth knowing more about, to make our interactions with them easier. And he wasn't interested in doing any of that himself, so he assigned Gabriel and me to the task."

Gabriel's idea. So the archangel had planned this. That did explain the quick kidnapping of his brother. Dean's eyes widened, the last of Castiel's explanation catching up to him. "So you're staying?"

The angel nodded.

"For how long?" He couldn't get his hopes up. He refused to. If Castiel was going to be here doing human research for a few months, then leaving all over again afterwards, it was better to just not bother with it at all.

"For something I plan to study intensely, it could take some time. A lifetime, perhaps. I suppose that depends on how long my subject plans to live." Castiel smirked, and Dean thought the look on the angel would never stop throwing him for a loop.

"Gonna be studying me then?" Dean couldn't help but return the smirk, even as relief flooded through him. Castiel was staying, pretty much for good.

"I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather study." Castiel stepped closer, right into Dean's personal space. "If you'll have me, of course."

The hunter closed the rest of the small distance between them, pressing into another kiss and grinning against the angel's mouth. "I think I can manage putting up with you. Gonna spend a fortune on Pepsi though."

"It's part of the research, after all…"

"Fair enough…" Dean couldn't wipe the smirk from his face if he tried. "Y'know… your brother and his demon kidnapped my brother for the afternoon. We've got the place to ourselves. I could get a head start on teaching you a little more about… human interaction."

Castiel laughed. It was a sound Dean could definitely get used to hearing. "I have a feeling I'll be learning a lot about this particular form of interaction."

"What can I say?" Dean shrugged, tugging the angel closer by the sides of his trench coat. "Practice makes perfect."

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**An' that's it! Thanks again for all your reviews, faves, alerts an' viewing in general. This is the longest thing I've ever written ((even if I eventually decided against the epilogue I had planned. But if you're in the mood for an Epilogue song, check out Ingrid Michaelson's 'Morning Lullabies', as that was the title for the epilogue.)) an' it totally spiralled into this weird thing. For all the music involved in the titles, as well as some art to the first 9 or so chapters, you can hit up my LJ under the name h4ppy_fun_b4ll. There's a masterpost to the fic there with all the art an' FST attached! **

**I'm really out of things to say, so just thanks again! Hopefully I'll see you all again soon with the next story!**


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